The Implication of TALC to Tourism Planning and Development in the Global South: Examples from Nigeria

Application of Tourist Area Life Cycle (TALC) in tourism destinations in the global south (i.e., Nigeria) is limited despite its predictive values. This study evaluates ecotourism destinations in southeastern Nigeria using the TALC model and its implications to tourism planning and development. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews were used in the study, and the results were discussed based on variables in the model. The results showed the following: “Instant resorts” were developed near lakes; limited development and stagnations, the uncertainty of destination growth, stages over-lap, among others were characteristics of tourism destinations in southeastern Nigeria due to socio-political landscape shaping tourism in Nigeria. Tourism destinations in the region fall between exploration and development stages; this is not unconnected to government “slapdash attitude” to tourism. Conversely, the status of these destinations offers the opportunity for community involvement for sustainability reasons. The qualitative means used to gauge tourism destinations’ stages is novel and worthy of academic attention; it is invaluable where numeric data are missing. The study is suggestive of theoretical underpinning in tourism studies in developing nations.

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