Safety and Security Concerns in Nigeria's Tourism Sector: The Issue of Geotourism Destinations

Safety and security have become a source of concern for tourism stakeholders and beyond, due to their role in destination attractiveness and their capacity to affect tourists’ intent to travel. Unfortunately, insecurity appears to be a common feature in many emerging economies like Nigeria, where herdsmen, religious and political violence, kidnapping, etc. affect tourism development and growth. This study aims to: comprehend the safety and security features of Ogbunike Cave; second, identify the challenges to safety and security in the cave; and third, document ways to ensure sustainable safety and security in the cave. Using in-depth interviews and secondary data, the study showed poor safety and security measures for visitors in the cave. The implication of this is that visitors’ safety is not guaranteed, and this may likely affect the attractiveness of the cave and cause limited patronage. The study, woven from the perspective of protection motivation theory (PMT), suggests that the protection of visitors in tourism destinations like caves should be paramount. A safe and secure destination remains attractive, with highly competitive value; therefore, police posts, first aid boxes, emergency numbers, and log books appear useful for sustainable safety and security measures in caves. The study is novel, it appears to be the first to discuss the safety and security of Ogbunike Cave, and the implications may extend to other caves in the state and beyond. The suggestions are invaluable to tourism planners and stakeholders.