Socio-Economic Implications of Tourism Cultural Festival Induced Population Pressures in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria

The study examines the effect of Calabar cultural tourism induced population pressures on socio-economic development in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. Relevant body of literature was reviewed and survey design method was adopted. The study utilizes stratified and purposive sampling techniques to select 335 respondents. Instruments used to gather data were questionnaire, interview and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). Analyses of items were descriptively carried out using tables and percentage, mean and standard deviations while research hypothesis was analyzed using simple linear regression analysis. The result indicated that an r – value of .851 was obtained; giving an r – squared value of .724, meaning that about 72.4% of the total variation in socio-economic development in Calabar Metropolis is accounted for by variation in Calabar cultural tourism induced population pressures. Consequently, the findings revealed that Calabar tourism festival attracts a lot of persons such as tourists, investors, business men and women among others, thus exerting population pressures on the socio-economic development of the study area. The population pressures yielded positive and negative outcomes. On the positive side, it influenced infrastructural development and triggered income generating businesses and government pro-activeness. On the negative perspective, it instigated inflationary trends as prices of goods and services soared high and brought about depletion of resources and infrastructural facilities as well as increased crime rates and immoral activities. To mitigate the effects of tourism cultural festival induced population pressures, government should increase her budgetary expenditures on tourism development and should provide modern tourism infrastructures that will accommodate increasing populations in subsequent tourism festivals. Besides, social work practice is imperative in terms of awareness creation, sensitization workshops and enlightenment campaigns as a means of cushioning the effects of the population pressures. Word count: 283.