SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND PARTICIPATION IN URBAN ECOTOURISM SPACES IN CALABAR METROPOLIS NIGERIA 79 19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no2.109Keywords:
urban ecotourism, socioeconomic inequality, recreation participation, simulation, environmental justice, Calabar MetropolisAbstract
This study evaluates how socioeconomic resources may structure participation in urban ecotourism and nature-based recreation in Calabar Metropolis. A reproducible quantitative simulation comprising 300 cases was analysed because no verified respondent-level field dataset accompanied the study. Participation was operationalised as a 1-5 composite of visit frequency, duration, activity diversity and regularity; income, education and occupational status were the principal predictors, with age and gender as covariates. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and ordinary least-squares regression were applied. Mean participation increased from 2.53 in the low-status group to 2.93 in the middle-status group and 3.70 in the high-status group. The between-group effect was large, F(2, 297)=106.14, p<.001, eta-squared=.417. The multivariable model was significant, F(5, 294)=93.93, p<.001, explaining 61.5% of participation variance. Income (beta=.597) and education (beta=.434) were the dominant positive predictors; occupation was positive, age negative and gender negligible. The findings support a field-testable inequality mechanism but are not population estimates. A probability-based household survey linked to GIS accessibility and facility-quality measures is required before policy generalisation.Downloads
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