This study examined strategic marketing: A panacea for harnessing Nigerian tourism potential for social-economic development. The study adopted survey method. The data for the study were collected through structured questionnaire administered on professionals and stakeholders in tourism industry and secondary data from the databases of the World Bank and World Economic Forum on international tourist arrivals and sustainability index for Nigeria. The study area was restricted to South Eastern States of Nigeria. The selected States include: Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia. A sample size of 150 was determined from the population of stakeholders in the industry which include; management staff of the State’s Tourism Board, Travel Agents, Hoteliers and various Community Heads. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in administering the questionnaire on the respondents directly involved in tourism development and marketing in the study area. The data collected were presented and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicated that there is no significant effect of sustainability of travel and tourism industry development on international tourist arrivals. It equally revealed that the aims of sustainable tourism were not seriously considered in the marketing strategies of the stakeholders. In order to attract more tourists from developed nations, issues of sustainability need to be integrated in the marketing strategy of the country’s tourism industry.
Strategic Marketing, Tourism, social economic development, Nigeria
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