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Constraints and Challenges of Event Tourism Development in Abia State, Nigeria

In developed countries, events are regarded as viable strategies for tourism development. However, in many emerging economies, such as Nigeria, the nonchalant attitude of government and poor implementation of policies have affected the sustainable development of event tourism. This paper discusses the constraints and challenges facing event tourism in Abia State, Nigeria using Ekpe Cultural Festival Adopting ethnographic research approaches, which involves in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the perception of community members drawn from two communities- Umunkpeyi and Isingwu were investigated. The staff of the tourism agencies were also interviewed. The data were analysed using content analysis. The analysis of results showed some emerging themes. These include lack of collaboration, poor funding, government attitude, the impact of modernisation, lack of tourism skills, mistrust among stakeholders, lack of implementation of policies and poor road network. The paper argues that these constraints must be addressed for event tourism development in the study area.