Tourism-Driven Development: Examining the Influence of the Calabar Carnival on Employment and Infrastructure in Calabar Metropolis.

This study investigated tourism-driven development by examining the relationship between Calabar Carnival and employment creation and infrastructural development in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. It was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 62,112 adult residents of Calabar Metropolis, including individuals engaged directly or indirectly in tourism-related activities. A sample of 406 respondents was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique involving purposive, simple random, proportional, and accidental sampling methods. The instrument used for data collection was the Perceived Impact of Calabar Carnival on Employment and Infrastructure Questionnaire (PICCEIQ). Mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used for data analysis, while the hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that the Calabar Carnival has a significant positive influence on employment creation and infrastructural development in Calabar Metropolis. Specifically, the carnival contributes to job opportunities in sectors such as hospitality, transportation, and event management, while also promoting improvements in road networks, public facilities, and tourism infrastructure. The study recommended increased investment in tourism-related infrastructure and the development of policies that support sustainable employment generation through tourism activities.