Exploring Heritage Resources for Sustainable Cultural HeritageTourism Development in Nanka, Orumba North Local GovernmentArea of Anambra State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63385/etsd.v1i1.157Keywords:
Heritage Resources, Tourism Growth, Sustainable Tourism, NankaAbstract
Despite the growing recognition of cultural heritage as a catalyst for sustainable tourism in Nigeria, rural communities like Nanka that possess unique heritage assets remain underexplored in academic literature and policy frameworks. This study addresses the research gap by conducting an ethnographic assessment of Nanka’s tangible and intangible heritage resources, with the aim of evaluating their potential for sustainable cultural heritage tourism development. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, field observations and visits to traditional sites, with key twelve (12) informants including community elders, custodians of deities and traditional leaders. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select the respondents. Findings reveal a rich tapestry of heritage assets, including sacred rivers, ancestral deities, festivals, traditional title systems, and marriage customs, which collectively embody the cultural identity of the Nanka people. These resources, if appropriately conserved and promoted, could serve as powerful tools for tourism-driven rural development, community empowerment, and cultural preservation. The study contributes practically by proposing a community-led tourism development framework that integrates indigenous knowledge systems with modern heritage management strategies. This research also contributes to academic discourse by offering a culturally grounded model for heritage resource assessment and its application in tourism planning.
References
[1] Ezenagu, N., 2020. Heritage Resources as a Driver for Cultural Tourism in Nigeria. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 7(1), 1–15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2020.1734331
[2] UNWTO, 2005. Cultural Tourism and Poverty Alleviation: The Asia-Pacific Perspective. World Tourism Organization: Madrid, Spain.
[3] Timothy, D.J., Nyaupane, G.P., 2009. Cultural Heritage and Tourism in the Developing World: A Regional Perspective. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group: London, UK; New York, NY, USA.
[4] UNESCO, 2022. World Heritage. UNESCO World Heritage Centre 2022. Available from: https://whc.unesco.org/en/about/
[5] Madandola, M., Boussaa, D., 2023. Cultural Heritage Tourism as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development: The Case of Old Oyo Town in Nigeria. International Journal of Heritage Studies. 29(1–2), 21–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2023.2169332
[6] Onu, H.E., Imaah, N.O., Brisibe, W.G., et al., 2025. Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development of Rivers State. Research Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies. 11(2), 1–17.
[7] Graham, B., Howard, P., 2008. The Ashgate Research Companion to Heritage and Identity. In: Graham, B., Howard, P., (Eds.). Heritage and identity. Ashgate Publishing Group: Great Britain, UK. pp. 1–15.
[8] Ezenagu, N., Iwuagwu, C., 2016. The Role of Cultural Resources in Tourism Development in Awka. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 5(2), 1–12.
[9] Nega, D., 2018. An Investigating the SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of LALIBELA Rock Hewn Churches, World Heritage Site, Ethiopia. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality. 7(6), 1–7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0269.1000395
[10] Godfrey, K., 1998. Attitudes Towards Sustainable Tourism in the UK: A View from Local Government. Tourism Management. 19, 213–224.
[11] Hussein, J., Armitage, L., 2014. Traditional Heritage Management: The Case of Australia and Tanzania. Proceedings of the Asian Real Estate Society 19th Annual Conference; 14-16 July 2014; Gold Coast, Australia.
[12] Hall, C.M., 2009. Degrowing Tourism: Décroissance, Sustainable Consumption and Steady-state Tourism. Anatolia. 20, 46–61.
[13] National Endowment for the Arts, 2003. Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce. Available from: http://www.nea.gov/partner/Tourism.html
[14] UNESCO, 2002. Tangible Heritage. Available from: http://www.unesco.org/culture/heritage/
[15] Khadar, A.N., Jaafar, M., Mohamad, D., 2014. Community Involvement in Tourism Development: A Case Study of Lenggong Valley World Heritage Site. SHS Web Conferences. 12, 01094. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20141201094
[16] Silberberg, T., 1995. Cultural Tourism and Business Opportunities for Museums and Heritage Sites. Tourism Management. 16(5), 361–365.
[17] Richards, G., 1996. Production and Consumption of European Cultural Tourism. Tillburg University Press: Tilburg, The Netherlands.
[18] Sharma, S., Mishra, H.A., Patil, A.S.M., 2024. A Role for Heritage Tourism in Economic Development and Growth in. International Journal of Scientific Research and Development. 12(4), 11–17.
[19] United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 2003. What is Intangible Heritage? UNESCO Publishing: Paris, France. Available from: https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-is-intangible-heritage-00003
[20] Uriely, N., Israeli, A.A., Reichel, A., 2002. Heritage Proximity and Resident Attitudes Toward Tourism Development. Annals of Tourism Research. 29(3), 859–862.
[21] Richards, G., 2018. Cultural Tourism: A Review of Recent Research and Trends. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 36, 12–21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.03.005
[22] Dyer, P., Gursoy, D., Sharma, B., et al., 2007. Structural Modeling of Resident Perceptions of Tourism and Associated Development on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Tourism Management. 28, 409–422.
[23] Isaksson, R., Garvare, R., 2003. Measuring Sustainable Development Using Process Models. Management Audit Journal. 18(8), 649–656.
[24] Cerisola, S., Panzera, E., 2024. Heritage Tourism and Local Prosperity: An Empirical Investigation of Their Controversial Relationship. Tourism Economics. 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166241234099
[25] Michelson, A., Paadam, K., 2016. Destination Branding and Reconstructing Symbolic Capital of Urban Heritage: A Spatially Informed Observational Analysis in Medieval Towns. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management. 5(2), 141–153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2015.12.002
[26] Zhu Ma, S.N., Bin Mohame, B., 2023. Heritage Tourism and Cultural Identity in China: Challenges and Opportunities for Development. International Journal of Professional Business Review. 8(7), e02393. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i7.2393
[27] Dong, H., Khan, M.S., 2023. Exploring the Role of Female Empowerment in Sustainable Rural Tourism Development: an Exploratory Sequential Mixed-Method Study. e01651. International Journal of Professional Business Review. 8(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i4.1651
[28] Galluccio, C., Giambona, F., 2024. Cultural Heritage and Economic Development: Measuring Sustainability Over time. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences. 95, 101998. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2024.101998
[29] Ministry of Education Arts and Culture and Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism, 2020. National Strategy on Sustainable Heritage Tourism Development & Employment Creation Opportunities at Community Level. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: Paris, France.
[30] Dümcke, C., Gnedovsky, M., 2013. The Social and Economic Value of Cultural Heritage: Literature Review. EENC paper. 1, 101–114.
[31] Schiffer, E., 2004. Community Based Natural Resource Management in Namibia. Univ. Bochum, S. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23689/fidgeo-442
[32] Li, C., Chen, H., 2020. Culture and Nature in Conserving the Indigenous Water System in Rural China: A Case Study of the Ancient Village of Hongcun. Journal of Landscape Architecture. 15(2), 44–55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/18626033.2020.1852709
[33] Szadziewski, H., Mostafanezhad, M., Murton, G., 2022. Territorialization on Tour: The Tourist Gaze along the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kashgar, China. Geoforum. 128, 135–147. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.12.010
[34] Adetola, B.O., Akinola, O.O., Aina, A.D., 2024. Tourism Policies and Performance of Nigerian Heritage Sites. Advances in Research. 25(3), 227–240. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/air/2024/v25i31067
[35] UNESCO, 2021. Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: Paris, France.
[36] Adu-Ampong, E.A., Teye, V.B., 2021. Community-based Heritage Tourism in Africa: From Theory to Practice. Journal of Heritage Tourism. 16(3), 305–320.
[37] Butler, R.W., 2020. Tourism and Sustainability: A Review of the Relationship. Journal of Tourism Futures. 6(1), 41–53.
[38] Turčinović, M., Vujko, A., Stanišić, N., 2025. Community-Led Sustainable Tourism in Rural Areas: Enhancing Wine Tourism Destination Competitiveness and Local Empowerment. Sustainability. 17(7), 2878. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su17072878
[39] Chikuta, O., Chanda, R., 2022. Ethnographic Approaches to Cultural Heritage Tourism in Southern Africa: Potentials and Limitations. Tourism and Heritage Studies. 7(1), 57–72.
[40] Mensah, J., 2024. Indigenous knowledge and Climate Resilience: Lessons from Ghana’s Sacred Sites. EcoTourism and Sustainability Journal. 10(1), 14–29.
[41] Ajibade, G., Omotayo, O., Alabi, K., 2022. Spiritual Landscapes and Eco-tourism in Yoruba Sacred Sites: An Ethnographic Review. Journal of African Ecological Studies. 8(1), 33–47.
[42] Iroegbu, C., Ugwueze, C., 2023. Shrines, Spirits, and Tourism: Traditional Religion as Cultural Capital in Igbo land. Systems. African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge. 15(3), 79–93.
[43] Ezeokoli, C.N., Ezeanyika, S.E., 2023. Deity Worship and Environmental Ethics in Igbo Cosmology: A Case Study of Idemili Region. Journal of African Indigenous Studies. 12(2), 93–109.
[44] Okechukwu, I.G., Obinwanne, C.O., Agina, E.K., et al., 2025. Community Based Tourism and Economic Development in Ikwuano. Journal of Hotel Management and Tourism Research. 6(1), 91–110.
[45] Owusu, M., Boateng, E., 2021. Eco-spiritual Tourism in Ghana’s Sacred Forests: Challenges and Prospects. Journal of Tourism and Environmental Research. 10(1), 45–58.
[46] Nyaupane, G.P., Timothy, D.J., 2023. Tourism and Development in the Himalaya Social Environmental, and Economic Forces, 1st ed. Routledge: London, UK; Taylor & Francis Group: New York, NY, USA.
[47] Timothy, D.J., 2023. Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Africa. Routledge: London, UK; Taylor & Francis Group: New York, NY, USA.
[48] Ejikeme, J.N.U., 2022. Overview of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Tourism Development in Nigeria. In: Ezeanya, R.F.B.O.C.P., Obiwulu, R.F.A.C., Eze, U.A., (Eds.). Salient Issues in Nigerian Peoples and Cultures. Humanities Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria: Nsukka, Nigeria. pp. 228–247.
[49] Ndoro, W., 2018. Cultural Heritage Management in Africa: Challenges and possibilities. In: Silberman, S., Ndoro, E., (Eds.). Cultural Heritage in Sub-Saharan Africa. Routledge: London, UK. pp. 23–40.
[50] Gaonkar, S., Sukthankar, S.V., 2025. Measuring and Evaluating the Influence of Cultural Sustainability Indicators on Sustainable Cultural Tourism Development: Scale Development and Validation. Heliyon. 11(4), e42514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42514
[51] Okonkwo, E.I., 2020. Indigenous Religious Shrines and Tourism Potentials in Igbo Communities. Journal of African Cultural Studies. 32(2), 135–148.
[52] Achebe, C., 1959. Things Fall Apart. Heinemann: London, UK.
[53] Onwuejeogwu, M.A., 1981. An Igbo Civilization: Nri Kingdom and Hegemony. Ethnographica: London, UK.
[54] Okpoko, P.U., 2006. Issues in Tourism Planning and Development. Nsukka: Afro-Orbis Publishing Company: Nsukka, Nigeria.
[55] Smith, L., 2006. Uses of Heritage. Routledge: London, UK.
[56] Vukonić, B., 2002. Tourism and Religion. Pergamon: Oxford, UK.
[57] Nwankwo, E.A., Agboeze, M.N., Agboeze, M.U., et al., 2023. Gaze and Narratives on Heritage Values: Discarding the Views of Host Communities in Africa. African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research. 6(5), 62–81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52589/ajsshr-ojznead5
[58] Litheko, A., Potgieter, M., 2021. Rural Community Perception of Tourism Development: A Strategic Tool in Rural Development. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure. 10(4), 1452–1465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46222/ajhtl.19770720-172
[59] Prakoso, A.A., Pradipto, E., Roychansyah, M.S., et al., 2020. Community-Based Tourism: Concept, Opportunities and Challenges. Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Entrepreneurship. 2(2), 95–107.
[60] Ogboagha, C.O., 2025. Creative Tourism: A Panacea for Local Economic Development in Enugu State. Global Journal of Applied, Management and Social Sciences. 32, 146–151.
[61] Nwankwo, E.A., Ede, C.E., 2024. A Survey of Heritage Resources for Tourism Development in Ikem, Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Smart Tourism. 5(2), 1–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54517/st2980
Downloads
PDF
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Joy Nneka Uchenye Ejikeme, Emmanuel Chijioke Mmadu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
