Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism Industry in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Globalisation and regional development have, over the years, been aided through the tourism industry. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a public health emergency leading to huge loss of lives across the globe and at the same time, greatly affecting the global economy, the tourism industry has been the most affected. This impact is because tourism usually involves travel from one geographical area to another. Cultural tourism is an aspect of tourism through which individuals express their right to cultural life as they move to cultural attractions away from their place of residence, to gather new information and experiences in a bid to satisfy their cultural needs. To combat the outbreak of Covid-19, a prominent measure that has been utilised by states is the imposition of either a partial or full lockdown measure while restricting international travel. This research analyses the impact of Covid-19 on development in the tourism industry in Oyo State in southwest Nigeria. Its findings revealed that the tourism industry was negatively affected by COVID-19. The right to benefit from new inventions has not been adequately explored. Though heritage practitioners are aware of the need to ensure the tourism industry stays innovative to meet the challenges of the times, the government has not taken any steps in this regard. It needs to give priority to the heritage industry as tourism development as a huge role to play in achieving human rights.