The Role of Leboku New Yam Festival in Hotel and Tourism Development in Ugep Urban of Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria (original) (raw)

Leboku is the annual new yam festival celebrated in Ugep by the people in honour of the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the land for bountiful harvest. This study evaluates the role of Leboku new Yam Festival (LNYF) in hotel and tourism development. This annual celebration attracts tourists from all over the world every August to the land of Ugep people so as to witness their rich African culture, language and identity. The goal of this study was to raise consciousness on the strong relationship between Leboku New Yam Festival and hospitality as well as tourism development. Correct and précised data were collected using primary and secondary sources of data. 100 questionnaires were designed and administered, while 99 were retrieved and were accurately analyzed. LNYF promotes: intercultural cooperation, creates job opportunities, unity, and hotel/tourism development as affirmed from our results/findings. Tourists problems/expectations in patronizing hotels were discovered too which included: accessibility, affordability, comfortability, and hospitality. However, the study proved that LNYFjust like every other festivalis a tourist event and as such contributes not just to hotel/tourism development but also in a peoples/nations development.