Tourism Potentials of the National Iwa ji Festival in Igbo-Ukwu Southeast Nigeria
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Date
2020
Authors
Okoye, O.C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Association for Tourism Development in Nigeria.
Abstract
Festival tourism is one of the mainstays of the tourism industry in many countries. In Igbo-Ukwu
Anambra State Nigeria, Mbido Igbo Cultural Association, an organization that champions the
revival, preservation and promotion of Igbo arts and cultural heritage has repackaged Iwa ji festival
for the promotion and sustainability of Igbo culture and tourism development. Iwa ji festival is
celebrated annually in honor of the Supreme God and other divinities for the gift of the new yam.
This paper examines the tourism potentials of the festival. It was established that events during the
festival such as yam competition, wrestling competition, exhibitions in National Museum, National
Gallery of Art, and Centre for Black African Art and Civilization (CBAAC) have the propensity to
attract international and national tourists if properly repackaged. It was also noted that quality social
facilities such as good road network, and accommodation as well as the hospitality of the host
community are equally essential for tourism development. The paper offered recommendations on
how to upgrade the National Iwa ji festival to international standard. Qualitative method was
utilized in data collection and the data collected were analyzed descriptively.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
National Iwa ji festival, Tourism, Mbido Igbo Cultural Association, Igbo-Ukwu, Festival , National Iwa ji festival , Tourism , Mbido Igbo Cultural Association , Igbo-Ukwu , Festival , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES
Citation
Okoye, Obiageli. C. 2020. Tourism Potentials of the National Iwa ji Festival in Igbo-Ukwu Southeast Nigeria. Journal of Tourism and Heritage Studies, 9(1):46-63.