Faith-based activities and religious tourism in southwestern Nigeria: Challenging factors

Abstract

This paper examines the challenging factors besetting faith tourism products in two religious centres in the southwestern region of Nigeria, namely The Redeemed Christian Church of God and Osun Oshogbo Sacred Grove.Different world religions are associated with faith-based activities which are sought after by adherents, admirers and tourists. The effects of this tourist traffic are highly beneficial to society, as they stimulate other sectors of the economy. However, improperly planned religious tourism may result in untoward negative effects. This paper employs ethnographic research methods (direct observation, interviews and focus group discussion) to address the subject matter. The findings revealed that the major challenge of most religious activities is overcrowding, out of which other challenges emanate. The study suggested measures to mitigate the challenges. What is new about this study is the awareness it seeks to create about the unique and inherent contents of faith-based activities and how these promote visitation if the identified impediments are properly managed. These findings are invaluable to all stakeholders, namely developers, government and policymakers in the tourism industry, as they re-engage them to revisit emerging challenges in religious tourism development.