SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND POTENTIALS OF ECOTOURISM RESOURCES IN KANO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the geospatial distribution of 51 major ecotourismresources in Kano. The coordinates of the ecotourism resources were collected via the hand-held Global Positioning System Garmin eTrex H and the data obtained were related to theirgeographical locations and attributes. Data pertaining to the potential of ecotourism resourceswere collected via a checklist, interviews and observations at each site and were analysed viaSPSS version 17.0. The results of the analyses indicate that the spatial pattern of ecotourismresources is a dispersed pattern and that most ecotourism resources are very poor owing tothe locational characteristics of rural areas where limited infrastructure development hasoccurred. The provision of adequate facilities through public-private partnerships at eachdestination should be encouraged by incentivizing rural people to establish the facilitiesneeded for the promotion of ecotourism and the provision of adequate and qualitative roadnetworks that make a site more attractive.