Request for Proposal(RFP) Tourism Development & Management Analysis for Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria

**Terms of Reference**

**Background**

Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State is the richest wildlife site in Nigeria and a popular ecotourism destination, primarily for national tourists. Although there are periodic security challenges in the region, it remains a popular tourist attraction during holiday periods. Despite this, the tourism potential of Yankari Game Reserve is relatively untapped, with significant historical and cultural elements underdeveloped. Most visitors are day trippers to utilize the conference facilities or for a short savanna wildlife experience. Yet the game reserve has made significant investments in infrastructure and can accommodate >100 people, if maintenance and management were strengthened.

WCS has been providing technical and financial support to the management of Yankari Game Reserve since 2014. Strengthening the existing tourism operations could generate sustainable revenue that could support the financing of Yankari Game Reserve and provide both economic benefits to local communities and Bauchi State Government.

WCS therefore seeks to commission a Tourism Development & Management Analysis to assess the tourism development potential of YGR, evaluate alternative tourism management approaches, and identify realistic opportunities to strengthen tourism performance, financial sustainability and long-term revenue generation. This should include consideration of potential private sector participation in tourism operations through concessionaire or similar partnership models.

**Objective**

The objective of the consultancy is to evaluate whether strengthened tourism investment and alternative tourism management approaches at Yankari Game Reserve could significantly improve tourism performance, financial sustainability and long-term revenue generation relative to the current situation.

The consultancy should provide a realistic and evidence-based assessment of:

- the tourism market potential of YGR;
- the level and type of investment likely required;
- the operational feasibility of alternative tourism management approaches;
- the potential for tourism revenues to contribute more substantially to reserve management and local economic benefits.

**Scope of Work**

The consultancy should include the following components:

1. *Market Analysis and Tourism Potential*

The consultant should assess:

- current tourism visitation patterns and trends;
- key visitor demographics and origin markets;
- current visitor motivations and tourism products;
- opportunities for growth in domestic and regional tourism markets;
- realistic market positioning for YGR within Nigeria and the wider region;
- constraints affecting tourism growth, including accessibility, security perceptions, infrastructure and competition.

The analysis should provide a realistic assessment of the scale and type of tourism growth that may reasonably be achievable under improved tourism management and investment scenarios.

1. *Operational and Management Analysis*

The consultant should assess:

- Analysis of potential private sector partners operating in the tourism space in Nigeria and Bauchi State
- Local capacity and resource availability
- the current tourism infrastructure and operational model at YGR;
- key operational constraints affecting tourism performance;
- priority infrastructure, maintenance and service improvements required;
- potential tourism management approaches, including:
- continuation of the current model;
- enhanced public-sector-led management;
- engagement of private tourism operators or concessionaires;
- hybrid or partnership approaches.

The analysis should include high-level consideration of the potential role of private sector partners, relevant examples from comparable protected areas in Africa, relevant regulatory and investment considerations in Nigeria.

1. *Financial and Investment Analysis*

The consultant should prepare indicative financial projections and investment analysis for selected tourism development scenarios, including:

- Indicative capital expenditure requirements;
- major operating costs;
- realistic revenue projections based on visitor and occupancy assumptions;
- potential income streams, including accommodation, entrance fees, conferencing and ancillary tourism activities;
- indicative profitability and sustainability considerations;
- high-level assessment of the potential contribution of tourism revenues to reserve management financing and local communities.

1. *Risk Assessment*

The consultant should assess key risks and constraints that may affect tourism development at YGR, including:

- security-related risks;
- political and economic instability;
- tourism demand fluctuations;
- infrastructure and accessibility limitations;
- operational and investment risks.

**Deliverables**

The consultant will be expected to deliver:

- an inception report outlining methodology and workplan;
- a draft Tourism Development & Management Analysis report;
- a final report incorporating comments from WCS and stakeholders;
- a presentation of key findings and recommendations.

The final report should include:

- practical recommendations regarding tourism development priorities;
- comparative assessment of tourism management options;
- indicative investment requirements and financial projections;
- recommendations regarding the potential role of private sector participation in tourism operations.

**Intended Use of the Consultancy**

The results of the consultancy will be used to support strategic discussions regarding the future development, financing, and management of tourism operations at Yankari Game Reserve.