SOCIAL AND MEDICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ICT IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper explores the prospects of attaining social and medical wellbeing through tourism and hospitality industry in the contemporary ever-dynamic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) driven age. The paper specifically focuses
on teleconferencing technology. Its uses and benefits were given attention so also are its effects on hospitality sector and its impact on the social and medical wellbeing of the people. The thesis of this paper was anchored on the promising status of this technology in Nigeria in terms of adoption among the people; the likely negative implications of this technology on the hospitality if fully embraced were also noted. This was done within the available statistics on international tourism arrival into the country as well as the current trends in recreational attitudes and tourism patronage at domestic level. The main concern here is that in no distance time Nigeria will surely be overwhelmed by this value system of digital culture. With lack luster attitude to conventional leisure and recreation and ineffective tourism management in Nigeria, what will become of the hospitality sector when everybody per adventure decided to embrace ICT to take care of their overseas activities rather than take to travelling? What effects will this have on social and medical wellbeing of the citizenry? These and other issues formed the major concerns of this paper. While this clearly points at the need for reorientation of the people on the advantages in leisure and recreation and necessity of a developed domestic tourism, suggestions were equally made on what to do to prevent the shock that may arise as a result of non-preparedness.