Challenges and Benefits of Rural Planning for the Development of Rural Tourism in Gashaka Local Government Area (LGA),Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper focuses on the challenges and benefits of rural planning for the development of rural tourism in Gashaka LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria. Landscape is considered as being complex, occurring at different scales, and including constructed items, road systems, and ecological systems. Rural landscape is defined as embracing the ecological landscape, productive landscape, and rural life landscape. The rural landscape is considered primarily as an economic tool for rural development. Rural tourism aids in the preservation of ethnic cultures. The paper considered rural landscape elements as ecological environment, rural life and associated productive landscape, rural housing, and service landscape. It argued that the core content of rural landscape planning is centered on integral rural images and suitable zones for land utilization planning, theme landscape and settlement landscape planning. In addition, the paper recognized that rural landscape is related to settlement landscape, tourism landscape, agricultural-native balanced landscape, natural-tourism balanced landscape, agricultural-residence balanced landscape. The paper opined that the indicator system to evaluate rural landscapes includes quality, sensitivity, accountability, compatibility, and livability. Rural landscape as a kind of environmental goods has multiple values, and most of the villages and towns with good and characteristic landscapes have realized the economic transformation of their recreational value through the development of rural tourism. The paper discussed some of the rural landscape improvement measures such as the protection of mountain land from overstocking; enhancement of the visual aspect of stonewalls; maintenance of farmyard tidiness; and safeguarding of cultural heritage. Finally, the paper recommended protection of natural and rural components of the landscape and maintain a differentiated and graded investment; creation of wealth of experience and depth perception of the rural landscape by expanding the land adoption system; protection of local residential architecture while maintaining a modern multi-functional aspect; and combination of natural and human services to create a visually attractive landscapes for sustainable development of rural tourism in Gashaka LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria.

Keywords – Rural Landscape, Rural Tourism, Recreational Value, Rural Development, Gashaka, Nigeria