CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in
the world today. It plays an important part in nation’s economy by producing
the opportunities for employment, continuously to the balance of payment and
helping in economic growth. Tourism is a multidimensional, multifaceted
activity which touches many lives and many business activities.
The application of the use of computer in almost
all facet of human endeavor cannot be over stressed. Since the introduction of
micro computer, the world of office automation has changed and will continue to
be changing with modernization made to the present ones. We are trying to see
the impact the computer will make to tourism in Imo State.
Tourism is a manifestation of movement from one
place to another. Transportation makes the existence of tourism; transportation
produces the possibility for most of these movements in order words transport
is an integral part of tourism and conveyor of tourists to different tourist
destinations and the activities. Logically, the more accessible tourist
resources are the more it is able to attract tourists. There are major models
of transportation associated with international tourist movement such as the
air transports, train (railways), and automobile.
In a simple term, tourism can be defined as
traveling for pleasure, recreation or relaxation. Because of the momental
impact of tourism on the global economy. The contemporary definition of tourism
higher premium on the transfer of financial resources from the tourists abode
to his destination than the purpose of the travel. A tourist therefore can
engage in any activity like sports, cultural appreciation, relaxation,
religious rejuvenation, business and participation in a conference, to mention
but a few. When a tourist leaves his home town for another location in the same
country he is classified as a domestic tourist. If he crosses the frontiers of
his country, he becomes an international tourist.
The important of this definition of tourism is that
the thousands of Imo state citizens residing in various parts of Nigeria who troop
home with their annual saving during
Christmas, and return to their station with near – empty wallets in less one
week are domestic tourist.
For a country to be counted as a successful tourist
destinations it has to record a seasonable blend between domestic and
international tourism. Countries as large as Nigeria usually have more domestic
than international tourist.
According to Kraal (1999:1B) travel and tourism is
now the biggest single industry , employing more than 12million people and
producing nearly 100m per year in taxes. It counts for between 25 and 30
percent of world trades in services, travel opportunities can enhance the
quality of the human experience in spiritual and national particulars
Kriffendorf (1987:20)
vTravel is recuperation and regulation
vTravel is compensation and social integration
vTravel is escape
vTravel is communication
vTravel is broadness the mind
vTravel is freedom and self determination
vTravel is happiness
Nigeria is endowed with inverse natural resources
relative to the nations in Africa and even in a global level. A stock of
Nigerians vast tourism resources includes peculiar geomorphologic features,
historical movement rachis, wild life and game reserves have aptly described
Nigeria as a land of contrast.
Imo state has been described as a state richly
endowed with natural resources of enormous tourism potential which if fully
exploited and well managed are capable of becoming the states major alternative
source. A stock of imo states tourism resources include the natural lakes that
abound across the state as exemplified by Oguta Lake, the range of hills around
Okigwe and environments that can encourage the mind building exercise of
mountaineering particularly among the youths. The network of rivers and streams
with their sand beaches that are common features in Obowo district, exciting
landmarks at owerri, the botanical garden and 300 at Nekede near Owerri, and
other numerous sites of tourist attraction.
Tourism industry in Imo state also include hotels
and holiday resort in both stock and quality. Recreational facilities for
sports and recreation and amusements, monument, historic relics, artifacts and
natural sceneries are located in cities and villages across the state. A number
of tradition festivals are organized in Imo state yearly. Some of which are of
international dimension, namely the canoe regatta in reverine areas traditional
wrestling contests which is fast regaining popularity. The Ozuruimo cultural
festival, the Mmanwu festival in Igboland, Iri ji festival and a host of
others.
These entire enormous tourism heritage can be
packaged as an item of international trade through effective marketing
strategies and Imo state can launch herself into the fire front of both as a
tour destination and helping state to generate foreign exchange. It is
basically the aim of this study to examine the Oguta lake Holiday Resort as a
tourist center, identifying the problems it encounters and exploring some of
the possible benefits that may accrue to state if properly managed.
1.1. OVERVIEW /
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The Oguta lake holiday resort was conceived in 1973
by the East central State Government when it discovered that the lakes with its
surrounding sceneries are favorable for the development of tourism. The Oguta
lake Holiday Resort is situated in Imo State.
On 2nd September, 1977, the motel was
brought under the management of Imo Hotels Owerri. It consists of some
bungalows, each bungalow contains fifteen chalets, that needs to be well
managed. There as gift course within the immediate vicinity of the hotel. It
was eighty staff on a role fifteen senior staff, twenty intermediate staff and
forty – five junior staff. The motel also has thirty one (31) double suites
which are expensive furnished and suits. It could be easily converted into
single suits. It also engage in outdoor catering and laundering services that
needs to be well managed by the management and offers recreational facilities
such as Lawn tennis and gift course. Varieties of drinks and beverages are also
available.
Other facilities of Oguta lake Holiday Resort
include;-
vChildren play ground
vSpeed boats for water skiing or for leisure trip
around the lake
vPicnic facilities
vConference room, capable of accommodating about 250
people
vTennis hand courts
vGift clubs house
Also one of the famous Ojukwu Bunkers is housed in
the oguta lake Golf course premises.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The major problem is the slow response, time in
handling enquires and making bookings, both customers and traveling agents complain
of the difficulty telephone time continuously engaged. This often causes
customer to book their tour through other inefficiency of the current system.
There is a tendency for aircrafts seats and hotel accommodation to be either
over booked or not booked at all . a system is required to overcome those
problems but attempting to design a system to eliminate such weakness. It is
necessary to analyze the system using structural methodology.
1.3 SCOPE OF
THE STUDY
Operations carried out in tourism board are numerous.
I am therefore restricting myself in his project to those that concern the
tourism specially am interested in designing a computer system that will
facilitate information and rendering services in Imo State tourism board. This
design will be of a greater use both in the projection service and
documentation.
1.4 OBJECTIVES
Due to delay characterized by the manual system in
discharging the tourism board in Imo State.
We are trying to see how the use of computer can
help in these articles and easily the delay hitherto encountered in the old
manual system.
1.5 Limitation
Of The Study
In the cause of accomplishing these tasks, lots of
hindrances and experiences where entertained or encountered. It makes it
intricate to have the background knowledge as a result limited source of
information collected.
Getting access to materials for the work as a
difficult problem : most books were not on the library an when you found any
there it will either not be a current edition or some part of it must have been
tour off and taken away by people.
Again finding also posed its own constraints in the
courses of this research. Some areas which needed absolute coverage that will
be helpful in data collection were not reached de to the lack of funds.
Above all, the researcher still find with limits of
his capability to ensure that the project was presented. Despite all these
handicaps, however adequate data was collected so as to ensure objective and
meaningful deductions and organizations.
1.6 Significance
Of The Study
The essence of undertaking any research work is to
solve an educational problem, bearing this in mind; the study is geared towards
the following.
1
This research is
expected to provide useful output for a more effective operations of the
tourism destinations in Imo state as a whole
2
To the managers
of tourist center, this study provides useful information for strategic and
profitable management of tourism centers
3
To the
government, the study appraises various government guidelines and offer some
suggestions for more effective efficient operations of the resort centers.
4
To the general
public, the research provides an awareness of the problem and prospects of the
tourist destinations in Imo State in such a way that it will broaden the
knowledge and understanding of the public at large.
5
The research
will add to the existing literature of the subject and raise some issues that
may lead to future work on the subject.
1.7 Definitions
of Terms
1
Computer: an
electronic device, which on receipts of information appropriate input, is
capable of processing the inputs according to a set of previously supplied
instruction and making the result (output) available if designed.
2
Program: series
of instructions given to the computer
3
Address: bills
to address, where we send customers document
4
File: a
collection of related records
5
Booking
references: old booking and when booking new one with reference
6
Tourist: this is
a person or an individual who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure or
business.
7
Tourism
industries: this refers to those
industries that also at are concerned with the provision of comprehensive range
of recreation facilities and entertainment where people can enjoy themselves.
8
Resort: a place
to which people go frequently or habitually for rest
9
Resort center: a
site designed to attract tourists especially for the purpose of exploiting them
10
Transportation: is a means of convening people or something from one place to
another. It also makes the existence of tourism.
11
Domestic tourist: this is a person or an individual who leaves his home for
another location in same country
12
International tourist: this is regarded as a person or an individual who leaves
his country to another country
13
Business telephone number: telephone number in the business place.
14
Customer: a tourism business system customer