Heritage Tourism and Architectural Conservation: An Empirical Analysis of Badagry, Lagos State

Heritage tourism and architectural conservation are mutually reinforcing activities when managed effectively, yet they can generate conflicting pressures on built heritage fabric when visitor volume, commercial interests, and conservation management capacity are poorly balanced. This study empirically analyses the interaction between heritage tourism activity and the conservation status of the built heritage fabric in Badagry, Lagos State, one of Nigeria's most historically significant slave trade heritage towns. A multi-method empirical design combined a systematic condition survey of eighty-four heritage-significant structures in the Badagry Heritage District, analysis of visitor arrival and tourism revenue data from 2015 to 2023, structured interviews with twenty-five heritage site managers, tourism operators, and conservation officials, and a visitor survey administered to one hundred and fifty heritage tourists. Physical condition surveys assessed building fabric integrity, authenticity, accessibility modifications, and conservation intervention quality. Statistical analysis tested the relationship between tourism revenue, site management investment, and building condition scores. Results demonstrate a weak positive correlation between tourism revenue and building condition scores, indicating that heritage tourism income is insufficiently channelled toward conservation maintenance in most cases. Three sites with dedicated conservation management plans show significantly better condition scores than unmanaged sites receiving similar visitor volumes. Three heritage buildings show active tourism-driven deterioration attributable to uncontrolled visitor access and inadequate surface protection. The study proposes a Heritage Tourism Conservation Management Framework for Badagry specifying visitor carrying capacities, site management plan requirements, and a ring-fenced conservation levy on tourism entry fees. Keywords: heritage tourism, architectural conservation, Badagry, built heritage, tourism management.