AN APPRAISAL OF THE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES OFFERED AT OGBA ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN, EDO STATE AS A CENTRE FOR RESPONSIBLE TRAVELS

Responsible travel is gradually becoming a major source of tourism demand, due to greater awareness on the need for biodiversity conservation for the survival of man. Edo State is endowed with numerous centres for responsible travels of which the Ogba Zoological garden seems to be among the prominent ones. However, the stages of the development of services offered by the Ogba Zoological garden Benin City as a centre for responsible travels remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study therefore was to appraise the stages of development of services offered by the Ogba Zoological garden, Benin City, as a centre for responsible travels, as perceived by the patronizing travelers (tourists). Three research questions were raised and answered in this regard. The study employed descriptive research design. The population of the study was one thousand (1000) travelers (tourists) that toured the destination between January to February 2023. Purposive sampling technique was used to select one hundred and ten travelers who visited the destination within the period of the study and used as the respondents. One hundred and ten validated and reliable questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and collected on the spot. The data was analysed, using descriptive statistics to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that the stages of development of services at Ogba Zoological garden as a centre for responsible travels was not satisfactory. Hence, the researchers recommended that; the Edo government and the management of the Ogba zoological garden should expedite action to enhance the services of the Ogba Zoological garden as a centre for responsible travels.