Assessing the Coastal Tourism Sector of Akwa Ibom State Within the Framework of the Nigerian Blue Economy

Abstract

The coastal tourism potential of Akwa Ibom State was evaluated in order to ascertain its place in the development of the State within the context of the Blue Economy. Some coastal communities with a direct connection to the Atlantic Ocean were selected from the five local government areas of the State. Questionnaire was administered to the respondents using the purposive sampling technique. The study indicated that tourism development despite its potential in the area was hghly underdeveloped and highly centralized in Ibeno Local Government Area. For the current economic valuation of the coastal tourism sector of the Blue Economy in the study area, the consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) method in market price approach was employed. The result indicated that the total value of coastal and marine tourism sector in the study area was high, meaning that customers see the protection of the coastal amd marine environment as solving a problem effectively and are ready to pay, revealing stronger consumer benefits. The high WTP obtained indicates high demand for tourism services; customers see marine tourism as solving a problem effectively and are ready to pay, revealing stronger consumer benefits. A huge investment in this viable sector of the Blue Economy of the State is highly recommended.