SAFETY OPERATIONAL SERVICES AND PERFORMANCE OF PORT HARCOURT ZOO, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

This study focused on safety operational services and performance of Port Harcourt Zoo Rivers State, Nigeria. The study was carried out to determine the management strategies for tourism firms like zoo. The study was anchored on ethical theory. In the methodology, survey research design was used and questionnaire served as the instrument of data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean statistics, and the hypotheses were tested using Pearson correlation coefficient through SPSS Version 21.0. It was therefore discovered that there is significant impact of adequately trained staff on visitors’ patronage of zoo; there is significant relationship between adequately trained staff and visitors’ satisfaction of zoo; regular visitors’ enlightenment/education enhances the rate of visitors’ patronage in zoo; there is significant relationship between regular visitors’ enlightenment /education and rate of visitors’ satisfaction in zoo; there is significant relationship between effective animal maintenance and rate of visitors’ patronage in zoo; and effective animal maintenance significantly enhances visitors’ satisfaction in zoo. The study concludes that achievement of the goals in zoo tourism firms depends on the extent of safety management. It was recommended that zoo firms should adequately train their staff so as to make them perform well for the achievement of the goals. Also, the zoo staff training programme should focus on identifying the visitors need and challenges so as to make them feel relax for the zoo to attract more visitors.