Tourism industry impact on Efik's culture, Nigeria

Purpose – The paper seeks to examine the development of the tourism industry in Cross River State and its implication on the culture of Efik people of Calabar, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken was a survey method which employed both open‐ and closed‐ended questionnaires. These were administered to 300 respondents with responses from 293. The data from respondents were analyzed using simple percentage and multiple regression analysis. Findings – The study reveals that the carnival concert and carnival float do not include most aspects of the Efik's culture. As a result of this culture diffusion has been one sided and favors the incursion of foreign culture. Practical implications – The paper calls for the revival of Efik culture and recommends that government takes a deliberate stand in promoting Efik culture through the niches of cultural heritage tourism. Originality/value – This paper is the first empirical work to evaluate the impact of the tourism industry on the culture of the Efik people of Calabar. It provides evidence from the field that could assist in redesigning tourism policy in the state.