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Crime And Sustainable Tourism In Nigeria
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Cross River State, especially Calabar the state capital has witnessed as
increase in tourist arrivals owing to its geographical location and the
presence of both natural and manmade attraction. It is observed that
increase in tourist arrivals in a particular destination often leads to
increase in crime situation ranging from robbery, assault and murder, to
kidnapping and burglary (Shaw and Mckay, 1972). Crime rates typically
increase with the growth and urbanization of an area, and growth of mass
tourism is often accompanied by increased crime. The presence of a
large number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often
carrying valuables such as cameras and jewelries, increases the
attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and
drug dealings. Today, most streets within the hotspot locations where
these industries are located are prone to high crime rates such that
most tourists and residents found themselves being robbed and their
belongings taken away. The presence of large number of tourists has led
to changes in the social behaviour of youth and these often lead to
gangsterism and other social vices. This view applies in the case of
Calabar metropolis which have witnessed in recent times due to increased
tourism activities, the rise of the Scolombo boys, a dangerous and
mindless gang constituted by destitute or street boys and girls. They
have been accused of looting shops, snatching handbags, and engaging in
other criminal activities leaving residents, investors and tourists in
fear. Moreso, during the carnival event which comes up December every
year, crime such as rape, assault, robbery seem to dominate the entire
areas. In most cases, the major streets constitute a harbour for
cultist, armed robbers and kidnappers. Apart from this, no adequate
measures have been put in place to arrest the perpetrators of crime and
even when security measures are provided, no proper documentation is
made with respect to the types of crime and the victims. This forms the
crux of this research with specific reference to the tourist activities
in Calabar during and after the popular Calabar carnival.
There is a
broad consensus that tourism development should be sustainable (WTO,
2004). The declaration by the United Nations of 2017 as the
international year of sustainable tourism for development is a unique
opportunity to advance the contribution of the tourism sector to the
three pillars of sustainability namely economic, social and
environmental, while raising awareness of the dimensions of a sector
which is often undervalued. There is growing recognition that
well-designed and well managed tourism can contribute to the three
dimensions of sustainable development, to job creation and to trade.
(Okoroafor, 1994 and Okoli, 1998). This declaration comes at a
particularly important moment as the international community embraces
sustainable development goals.
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