A Micro Analysis of Tourists, Other Participants and Tourism Activities at Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria

The study analyzed the tourists and other participants who visited the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove during the year 2013 edition and the tourism activities engaged in. The research relied on a structured questionnaire to elicit data from one hundred and eighty respondents who were active participants during the festival. The respondents were selected by simple random sampling technique. Data were summarized and presented by descriptive statistics. Findings showed that among the respondents interviewed; 51.1% were males, 88.9% were employed, 45.6% were married, 41.7% were Muslims and 58.3% were either 31 years old or above. Also, the most sought after attractions at the grove includes; Osun River (84.4%), the shrines (83.3%), worship points (82.2%) and art works (73.3%). The study further established that the challenges of tourism at the site include: poor co-ordination (87.8%), over population/ carrying capacity of the groove (76.7%), lack of adequate public utilities/public toilets (67.2%), accessibility (13.9%), theft (12.8%), and security (11.7%). Hence, it is recommended that concerted effort be made by all stakeholders to address problems associated with tourism activities at the grove in other to better harness its social, economic, and developmental benefits and ensure the sustainability of such benefits. Keywords: Tourists, Other Participants, Tourism, Osun Osogbo Sacred Grov