ABSTRACT

This study is to ascertain the rate of public awareness, and perception of museums monuments and historical sites as tourism destination in Abia State. It aimed at identifying existing and potential sites of antiquities, museums and monument in Abia State, investigated volume of visitation to those sites and factors that affected people's visitation to the site. Survey design was used in generating data. The population for the study was four hundred, derived by the application of Yaro Yammen formula used to obtain sample size from the total population. Six objectives and six research questions were formulated for the study. Data for the study were obtained from secondary and primary source, and questionnaire was used to illicit primary data. Data obtained from this study was analyzed by the use of statistical package for social science (SPSS), with the use of percentage, frequency, simple descriptive statistics, 5 — point likert scale and least square multiple regression model. The study revealed that Abia State is endowed with many tourism attractions from historical sites, to museums and monuments. The awareness level of the existence of these sites as tourism destinations is not satisfactory. People still perceive these sites as niere shrines and old fashioned structures. This made the rate of visitation to those sites very low and the study also revealed that level of income, educational attainment location and distance have strong relationship with the volume of visitation of these sites.