1.0 Introduction
The profitability of international tourism industry has garnered widespread recognition of tourism as a promising development agent for developing countries. Throughout the past fifty years, tourism has rapidly spread and has emerged as a major export sector in many countries (UNWTO, 2007). The decision to adopt tourism as an agent of development has been largely based on the expectation that tourism can:
- Increased foreign exchange earnings,
- Create employment,
- Attract foreign investment, and
- Positively contribute to local economic and the national balance of payments (Sharply and Telfair, 2002).
In other cases it has been said that tourism is turned to as a last option by countries that lack extractable resources, are burdened by foreign debt, and rely on international aid (Brown, 1998).
Kaduna state richly endowed with a wide range of natural and cultural resources relative to other state in Nigeria and on a global level most of which are largely untapped. These resource'sfall into protected ecosystems (game reserves and recreational parks), protected landscapes or natural sceneries, cultural sites, coastline, traditional festival and historic relics and monuments (Okechuku, 1990 and Okoli 2001). Kaduna state tourism resources are highly distributed from the south-northern part of Kaduna, which has a geo-cultural pattern, (Okoli 2001).
The availability of these potentials has made the development of tourism industry to undergo a gradual evolution, which each phase reflecting its growing importance in the economy. Despite all these economic, political, cultural and social benefits, tourism development has not been strong politically in Nigeria, especially in Kaduna state.
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