PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS FAITH TOURISM IN NIGERIA THROUGH THE MASS MEDIA

Religious Tourism (also known as faith tourism) is an area of development in Nigeria that is fast growing. However, this growth is confined mainly to Christian religious activities. Indigenous faith tourism has been largely unexplored and unexploited. Most times indigenous faith activities are regarded only in entertainment terms, deriving their value mainly from the leisure perspective. It is in the light of the foregoing that this paper examines the area as a means of national development. The paper makes a case for the development of the sector with focus on the role of the mass media in this regard. It is contended that the mass media have not done much to foster indigenous faith tourism development, mention one two of these challenges. The paper then concludes by offering ways of tackling these challenges for better media performance.