Analysis of Tourist Experience Co-Creation at Ecotourism Sites in Akwa Ibom State, South South Nigeria

This study analyses tourist experience co-creation at ecotourism sites in Akwa Ibom State, South South Nigeria, with a focus on the Ibeno Beach, Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, and the Imo River estuary mangrove sites. The concept of experience co-creation, drawing on service-dominant logic, positions tourists not as passive consumers but as active value creators who shape their own tourism experiences through engagement and interaction. A mixed-method research design is adopted with questionnaires administered to 200 ecotourists and qualitative observations conducted during guided eco-tours at the three sites over a four-month period. Co-creation dimensions operationalised include tourist active participation, knowledge acquisition, sensory engagement, community interaction, and personalisation of the tourism encounter. Findings reveal that tourists who engage in active co-creation activities such as mangrove planting, guided birding, and fishing with local community members report significantly higher experience satisfaction and emotional connection to the destination compared to passive observers. However, co-creation facilitation capacity at the sites is limited, with few trained personnel and minimal infrastructure for participation-based activities. The study recommends development of structured co-creation activity menus at each site, training of community participation facilitators, and integration of co-creation experiences into official Akwa Ibom State ecotourism packages. Theoretical contributions to co-creation measurement in African ecotourism contexts are also articulated. Keywords: experience co-creation, ecotourism, Akwa Ibom State, service-dominant logic, tourist engagement