Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Senior Secondary 2
Why People Travel
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Why People Travel
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Nigeria 2025 app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Tourism
Class: Senior Secondary 2
Term: 1st Term
Week: 3
Theme: Travel Retailing And Tour Operation Business
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This topic, "Why People Travel," is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of the tourism industry. It forms the basis for marketing, product development, and service delivery in the travel sector. For Nigerian learners, comprehending the diverse motivations for travel provides critical insight into meeting the needs of both local and international tourists visiting or within Nigeria. It equips future tourism professionals with the knowledge to create compelling travel experiences and packages that resonate with specific traveler segments, contributing to the growth of Nigeria's tourism economy.
resort offering therapeutic massages and natural healing. V
I. Religious and Pilgrimage Travel: Travel driven by spiritual or religious motivations.
Pilgrimage: Traveling to sacred sites or holy places as an act of devotion. Nigerian
Example: Muslim pilgrims traveling to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) for Hajj or Umrah, or Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem (Israel) or other religious sites.
Religious Festivals/Conferences: Attending religious gatherings, crusades, or conventions. Nigerian
Example: Traveling to attend a major Christian convention in Lagos or a significant Islamic event in Kano. VI
I. Special Events Travel: Travel specifically to attend a unique event or celebration.
Festivals and Carnivals: Attending cultural festivals, music concerts, or carnivals. Nigerian
Example: Traveling to Calabar for the Calabar Carnival, or attending the Durbar festival in Kano.
Weddings and Celebrations: Traveling to attend weddings, anniversaries, or other significant personal celebrations. Nigerian
Example: Traveling across states to attend a friend's traditional wedding ceremony. VII
I. Shopping: Travel with the primary purpose of purchasing goods, often luxury items, specific local products, or items not available at home. Nigerian
Example:* Traveling to Lagos or Abuja to shop for high-end fashion, or traveling to specific markets for unique local crafts.
Interrelation of Reasons: It is important to note that a single trip can have multiple motivations. For example, a business traveler might extend their stay for leisure, or someone visiting relatives might also engage in sightseeing. Understanding these primary and secondary motivations helps tourism providers offer holistic and appealing packages. This section delves into the core reasons that motivate individuals to travel. These motivations are diverse and often multi-faceted, influencing destination choice, length of stay, activities undertaken, and expenditure.
I. Leisure and Recreation: This is one of the most common reasons for travel, driven by the desire for relaxation, enjoyment, and escape from daily routines.
Relaxation and Enjoyment: Seeking rest, unwinding, and engaging in pleasurable activities. Nigerian
Example: A family traveling to a resort in Lekki, Lagos, or a serene beach in Akwa Ibom for a weekend getaway.
Adventure and Exploration: Desire for thrilling experiences, discovering new places, or challenging oneself. Nigerian
Example: Trekking up the Idanre Hills in Ondo State, exploring the caves in Enugu, or white-water rafting on the Kaduna River.
Sightseeing and Cultural Experiences: Visiting historical sites, museums, natural wonders, or participating in local traditions and festivals. Nigerian
Example: Attending the Eyo Festival in Lagos, visiting the National Museum in Benin City, exploring the ancient city walls of Kano, or experiencing the Osun Osogbo Festival.
Sports and Hobbies: Traveling to participate in or watch sporting events, or to pursue specific hobbies like birdwatching, fishing, or photography. Nigerian
Example: Traveling to watch a major football match in Uyo, or participating in a marathon in Abuja. I
I. Business and Professional Travel: Travel undertaken for work-related purposes, often involving specific objectives and schedules. Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E.): Attending conferences, trade fairs, corporate meetings, or incentive trips for employees. Nigerian
Example: Business executives traveling to Abuja or Lagos for an industry conference, a company retreat in Calabar, or attending the Lagos International Trade Fair.
Work Assignments/Projects: Traveling for short-term work, consultations, or project implementation in a different location. Nigerian
Example: An engineer traveling from Port Harcourt to Kaduna for a project inspection, or a consultant traveling to different states for training workshops.
Sales and Marketing: Traveling to meet clients, establish new business contacts, or promote products/services. Nigerian
Example: A sales representative traveling across various Nigerian cities to showcase new products to distributors. II
I. Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR): Travel primarily motivated by the desire to connect with loved ones who live in different locations.
Family Reunions: Traveling to attend family gatherings, celebrations, or to spend holidays with relatives. Nigerian
Example: Individuals traveling from urban centers to their ancestral villages during festive periods like Christmas, Eid-el-Fitr, or for traditional weddings and funerals.
Social Visits: Visiting friends or extended family for social interaction and bonding. Nigerian
Example: University students traveling to another city to visit friends during a long holiday. I
V. Education and Study Travel: Travel undertaken for educational purposes, ranging from short courses to long-term academic pursuits.
Academic Programs: Traveling to attend schools, universities, or specialized training institutions. Nigerian
Example: Students moving from one state to another, or even abroad, to pursue higher education.
Field Trips and Research: Traveling for educational excursions, archaeological digs, or research projects. Nigerian
Example: University students traveling to a historical site like Sukur Cultural Landscape for a geology or history field trip.
V. Health and Medical Tourism: Travel for medical treatment, wellness, or recuperation.
Medical Treatment: Seeking specialized medical procedures, surgeries, or consultations not readily available or perceived as better elsewhere. Nigerian
Example: Nigerians traveling to India, Dubai, or Europe for complex medical surgeries, or traveling within Nigeria to specialized hospitals like those in Ibadan or Enugu for specific treatments.
Wellness and Spa: Traveling for health retreats, spa treatments, or alternative therapies. Nigerian
Example: Visiting a wellness center or resort offering therapeutic massages and natural healing. V
I. Religious and Pilgrimage Travel: Travel driven by spiritual or religious motivations.
Pilgrimage: Traveling to sacred sites or holy places as an act of devotion. Nigerian
Example: Muslim pilgrims traveling to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) for Hajj or Umrah, or Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem (Israel) or other religious sites.
Religious Festivals/Conferences: Attending religious gatherings, crusades, or conventions. Nigerian
Example: Traveling to attend a major Christian convention in Lagos or a significant Islamic event in Kano. VI
I. Special Events Travel: Travel specifically Materials: Whiteboard or chalkboard, markers/chalk, chart paper, coloured pens, pictures of various Nigerian tourist destinations and activities (e.g., Calabar Carnival, Lagos Business District, Obudu Mountain Resort, Mecca, university campus).
Teacher Activities: Introduction (10 minutes): Begin by asking students to briefly recall their most recent travel experiences (within Nigeria or abroad).
Initiate a brainstorming session: "Why do people travel?" Record all responses on the board without judgment. Guide the discussion towards understanding that travel is not just for pleasure but for various purposes.
Explanation of Key Concepts (25 minutes): Present the major categories of reasons for travel (Leisure, Business, VFR, Education, Health, Religious, Special Events, Shopping) using the explanations from Section
2. For each category, provide specific Nigerian examples and elaborate on the motivations behind them. Use the prepared pictures to visually illustrate examples (e.g., show a picture of Calabar Carnival when discussing cultural tourism). Facilitate short Q&A sessions after explaining each major category to ensure comprehension. Group Activity - Scenario Analysis (20 minutes): Divide the class into small groups (4-5 students). Provide each group with a different scenario describing a travel situation (e.g., "Mrs. Adeola flies from Abuja to Lagos every month," "A group of young people backpack through Yankari Game Reserve," "Mr. Bello takes his family to his village in Ekiti State during Christmas"). Instruct each group to identify the primary reason(s) for travel in their scenario and be ready to justify their answers. Circulate among groups, providing guidance and clarifying misconceptions. Group Presentations and Discussion (10 minutes): Invite each group to briefly present their scenario and identified travel reasons to the class. Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging peer feedback and additional insights. Emphasise how understanding these reasons helps tourism businesses.
Conclusion (5 minutes): Summarise the main reasons why people travel, reinforcing the diversity of motivations. Highlight the importance of understanding these motivations for future careers in tourism.
Student Activities: Participate in the initial brainstorming session by sharing personal travel experiences and identifying potential reasons for travel. Listen attentively to the teacher's explanations of various travel motivations and take notes. Actively participate in Q&A sessions, asking clarifying questions and contributing insights. In groups, analyse assigned travel scenarios, identify primary and secondary reasons for travel, and prepare to justify their findings. Present their group's findings to the class and engage in constructive discussion during other groups' presentations.
Instructions: Identify the primary reason(s) for travel in each of the following scenarios.
Question 1: Mr. Okoro, a businessman from Kano, travels to Lagos to attend an international trade fair where he hopes to network with potential partners and showcase his company's latest products.
Solution: Primary Reason: Business and Professional Travel (specifically attending exhibitions/trade fairs and networking).
Commentary: The purpose is clearly work-related, aiming for business growth and professional development.
Question 2: Hauwa and her friends planned a trip to Calabar during December to experience the famous Calabar Carnival and visit some historical sites in the city.
Solution: Primary Reason(s): Leisure and Recreation (specifically sightseeing and cultural experiences, and attending special events/festivals).
Commentary: The motivation is enjoyment, cultural immersion, and participation in a significant festive event, indicating leisure travel.
Question 3: During the Easter holiday, Mrs. Nkechi travels from Abuja to her hometown in Anambra State with her children to visit her elderly parents and celebrate the festivities with her extended family.
Solution: Primary Reason: Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR).
Commentary: The core motivation is connecting with family and participating in family celebrations, which falls under VF
R. Question 4: A group of final-year Architecture students from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, embark on a study tour to Abuja to examine the contemporary designs of major government buildings and infrastructure projects.
Solution: Primary Reason: Education and Study Travel (specifically field trips and research).
Commentary: The travel is directly linked to academic learning and practical observation relevant to their course of study.
Question 5: Mallam Ibrahim and his wife journey from Kaduna to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Solution: Primary Reason: Religious and Pilgrimage Travel.
Commentary: The entire journey is motivated by a profound spiritual obligation and devotion to their faith.
Tourism Product Development: Understanding diverse travel motivations allows Nigerian tourism entrepreneurs and state tourism boards to develop targeted products. For example, knowing that many Nigerians travel for religious purposes informs the creation of specialized Hajj and Jerusalem pilgrimage packages, or tours to historical mission sites within Nigeria. Recognizing the rise in adventure tourism might lead to developing packages for hiking in mountainous regions or exploring waterfalls.
Marketing and Promotion: Hotels, airlines, and tour operators in Nigeria can tailor their marketing messages and channels based on traveler motivations. A hotel near a major conference center in Abuja would primarily target business travelers with amenities like Wi-Fi and meeting rooms. Conversely, a resort in Obudu would target leisure travelers with promotions on relaxation, spa services, and family activities. This allows for efficient allocation of marketing resources.
Infrastructure and Policy Development: Government bodies, like the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) or state tourism ministries, use insights into why people travel to guide infrastructure development and policy. For instance, if medical tourism is identified as a growing sector, policies might be put in place to encourage investment in specialized healthcare facilities and improve travel logistics for medical visitors. Similarly, understanding the popularity of VFR travel helps in planning road and air infrastructure improvements during peak festive seasons.