OYO STATE TOURISM ACTION PLAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA O. A. Akande and S.O. Jimoh.

Introduction Oyo State, popularly referred to as the PACE SETTER STATE is one of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was created from the old Western State of Nigeria in 1976. Oyo State is mainly inhabited by the Yoruba ethnic group who are primarily agrarian but has a predilection for living in high density urban centres. Ibadan was the centre of administration of the old Western Region of Nigeria since the days of the British colonial rule. Other notable cities and towns in Oyo State include Oyo, Ogbomoso, Iseyin, Kisi, Okeho, Saki, Eruwa, Lanlate, Sepeteri, Ilora, Awe, Ilero, Igbeti, Igboho,Igbo-Ora and Ikoyi-Ile. In Nigeria, revenue in the Travel and Tourism Market is projected to reach US$2,252.00m in 2022 ((Statista.com). This revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2026) of 12.60%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$3,620.00m by 2026. The market's largest segment is Hotels with a projected market volume of US$992.70m in 2022. In the hotels sector, the number of users is expected to amount to 17.0m users by 2026. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to amount to US$122.80. In the Travel and Tourism Market, 64% of total revenue will be generated through online sales by 2026, (Statista.com). The above data reflect higher income from Hotel because there is a higher investment in the sector compared to other forms of tourism in Nigeria. In Oyo State, the hospitality Sector is very lucrative with over 450 registered hotels in the state ((Statista.com)). However, the tourism Sector in Oyo State is underdeveloped; and needs a lot of attention for growth and development.