The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the tourism sector in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, exposing vulnerabilities in emergency preparedness and response. This research investigates the spatial relationships between tourist centres and essential service facilities (healthcare, fire services, police stations), and COVID 19 incidence using geospatial techniques by mapping the location of tourism centres, service facilities and COVID-19 incidences in the study area. The study also designed a geodatabase of tourist centres and the service facilities and analysed the spatial distribution and relationship of the tourist centres and service facilities for emergency response planning. Primary data on facility locations and secondary data on COVID-19 cases were integrated into a GIS database. Nearest Neighbour Analysis revealed a random distribution of tourist centres and dispersed patterns for emergency service facilities, indicating a potential gap in accessibility. Route analysis also identified specific tourist centres with limited access to emergency services within a 2km radius. The study also highlights the potential for spatial overlap between tourist activity and COVID-19 hotspots. These findings inform recommendations for post-COVID-19 tourism planning, emphasizing the strategic use of GIS for improved emergency response, resource allocation, and risk management to ensure a safer and more resilient tourism experience in Ile-Ife.
Oluwadare et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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