THE ROLE OF TOURISM SOUVENIR FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Tourism is a service that is represented in several elements, the most important of them are:- pleasure, comfort and recuperation that a tourist gets when visiting a destination, but the components of this service consists of tangible and intangible elements that can be illustrated as follows:- 1. The tangible elements: They are the physical components in the tourism industry (mountains, beaches, souvenirs ... etc) 2. Intangible elements: represented in the customs, traditions, arts, good treatment and generous hospitality. Buying souvenirs is considered one of the most important parts of the tourist experience which includes a combination of activities that creates a variety of emotions and feelings (Horodyski et al., 2014). The tourist experience is incomplete without shopping. This shopping often includes souvenirs that remind the tourist of his/her experience and mementos. (Upadhya, 2016). The consumption of goods by tourists while being on holiday is an essential subject in the tourism industry. Souvenirs are seen as universal elements of traveling (Swanson, 2012) and are looked upon as objects tourists can bring back home to remind them of their activities during their holiday, trying to make an intangible experience tangible through the purchasing of these artifacts (Litrell, 1993). Furthermore, souvenirs represent the notion of trying to prolong the travel experience (Swanson, 2004). The phenomena of collecting souvenirs while being away from home is rather nothing new. In fact, according to Swanson (2012), there are records going back to the time of ancient Egyptians, Romans, and later explorer-travelers who would bring mementos back from their journeys. Nowadays, the most typical souvenirs that tourists will collect can be categorized into groups. According to Gordon (1986), five groups of souvenir types exist: pictorial souvenirs (e.g. postcards), piece-of-the-rock souvenirs (natural elements collected), iconic souvenirs (items that evoke a message about the place they come from), markers (e.g. t-shirts with the name of the destination) and local product souvenirs (items indigenous to the area). The consumption of souvenirs play also a major economic role in tourism destinations where producing, consuming and the selling of souvenirs are many retail businesses located near or at the destination are dependent on the selling of souvenirs (Swanson, 2004). Furthermore, souvenir consumption also helps in supporting indigenous local people who produce and retail authentic handicrafts and souvenir goods (Tosun, Temizkan, Timothy & Fyall, 2007) 1.2 Statement of the Problem The purchase of souvenirs is an established behavior associated with many activities, including travel and other leisure activities. Few people will take a vacation without acquiring some form of evidence to tangibilise the experiences gained. The type of evidence will vary from person to person and from experience to experience, from the artistic to the gaudy, from the unique to the commonplace, from a T-shirt to a tapestry or a shell to a snow-scene. Shopping is a major tourist activity with souvenir purchases forming a significant component of the shopping expenditure. Previous research has suggested expenditure on shopping comprises almost a third of the total travel spend. Although there has been a considerable volume of research undertaken on the topic of souvenirs and the types of souvenirs purchased, further research is still needed on shopping and souvenir purchases within tourism. Previous research has tended to focus on the types, uses and functions. Despite the significance of the souvenir in the tourism experience little research has been found on the role of souvenirs for tourism development. 1.3 Research Objectives The objectives of the study were as follows: 1. To know the types of souvenirs tourists buy in Kano Metropolis 2. To examine the role of tourism souvenirs for tourism development in Kano Metropolis 1.4 Research Questions 1. What type of souvenir do tourists buy in Kano metropolis? 2. What are the roles of tourism souvenirs for tourism development n Kano Metropolis 1.5 Significance of the Research The study adds on information about the role of souvenirs in tourism development, as souvenirs are considered an important component of the tourist experience which will help to improve the economy thereby bringing development of tourism in Kano state. Tourism organizers in Kano will have a second look into the role tourism souvenirs. As souvenirs has been repeatedly considered an effective way for communities to get economic advantage of tourism development. 1.6 Scope of the Study This research study is based on the role of tourism souvenirs for tourism development in Kano Metropolis