SUSTAINABILITY OF TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE IN CROSS RIVER NATIONAL PARK, NIGERIA: STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT

This study examined the sustainability of tourism infrastructure in Cross River National Park, Nigeria, from stakeholder perspectives and considered its implications for sustainable ecotourism development. A quantitative survey design was adopted, and questionnaire data were obtained from 400 respondents comprising local community members, visitors, park staff, tour operators, non-governmental organisations and government agencies. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used for analysis. Findings revealed a moderate level of infrastructure sustainability, with a grand mean of 3.54. Waste management systems recorded the highest mean score (M = 3.88), followed by community participation (M = 3.75), while natural resource protection (M = 3.30) and maintenance of tourism facilities (M = 3.35) were the weakest indicators. The ANOVA result showed significant differences in stakeholder perceptions, F(5, 394) = 3.487, p = .005, eta squared = .042. The study contributes protected-area evidence on the infrastructure-conservation nexus and concludes that sustainable ecotourism requires strengthened maintenance, conservation education, stakeholder collaboration, eco-friendly technologies and accountable park governance.