Abstract

The purpose of this study was to look at the impact of cultural tourism on heritage preservation in Botaland and Wovia communities.

The study’s goals were to identify the Wovia clan’s cultural heritage assets and examine their characteristics, as well as to assess the impact of exploitation of cultural heritage sites on the community, analyze the issues affecting the development of cultural tourism in the villages, and propose measures to preserve the heritage sites in order to ensure the clan’s development of sustainable tourism.

All residents of Bimbia and Limbe III council staff were included in the research. A total of 80 people took part in the survey. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as thematic analysis, data was collected and analyzed statistically and qualitatively.

The analysed data was in SPSS (21.0) and then presented using tables, charts, means and percentages for descriptive purposes. Findings suggested that natural heritage sites present at the Botaland and Wovia include caves, islands, rivers, shrines and hills. Festivals practices such as Mamiwater dance, nyango na muna Libation and Limu rituals were also common.

Major activities carried out during the festivals period were dancing, wrestling and canoe race. The major challenges facing heritage tourism development in Botaland and Wovia communities were the absence of intra marriages among many indigenes, the slow loss of the native languages as many youths prefer to communicate in Queens’s language and the lingua franca and they are not being brought up with the native language and the lack of knowledge of the present generation about their rich culture were major challenges faced in the preservation of the Wovia and Botaland culture.

The study found that cultural heritage activities such as organizing tours to the islands and caves, boat cruising around the islands, and hosting canoe racing competitions among villagers and neighbouring villages encourage the promotion of tourism within your villages by generating income for the communities, which is often used for developmental projects within the village, such as the purchase of canoes and other racing equipment, and life jackets have been provided.

Through the regular organization of cultural events within the village, encouragement of inter-village cultural competitions, and promotion of participation in the Limbe Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), where communities are allowed to showcase their cultures, village natives should stick to marrying their native women in order to preserve their culture and pass it on to their children.

It was suggested that training workshops and educational programs be held in Wovia villages to educate inhabitants about the relevance and advantages of cultural heritage site protection.

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