Tourism in Cameroon

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Tourists climbing Mount Cameroon, Southwest Province. Tourists climbing Mount Cameroon.jpg
Tourists climbing Mount Cameroon, Southwest Province.
Hippopotamus at the Benoue National Park Hippopotame dans la Benoue.jpg
Hippopotamus at the Benoue National Park
Gorilla at Mefou primate sanctuary Gorille d'age mure.jpg
Gorilla at Mefou primate sanctuary
Chimpanzee at Mefou primate sanctuary Chimpanze.jpg
Chimpanzee at Mefou primate sanctuary

Tourism in Cameroon is a growing but relatively minor industry. Since the 1970s, the government of Cameroon has cultivated the industry by creating a ministry of tourism and by encouraging investment by airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. The government describes the country as "Africa in miniature", promoting its diversity of climate, culture, and geography. Cameroon's wildlife draws both safari-goers and big-game hunters, as Cameroon is home to many of Africa's iconic animals: cheetahs, chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, gorillas, hippopotami, and rhinoceroses. Impediments to further growth of the tourism sector include poor transport infrastructure and corrupt officials who may harass visitors for bribes.

Contents

Development

Herd of elephants in Waza National Park in the Far North Province. Elephants around tree in Waza, Cameroon.jpg
Herd of elephants in Waza National Park in the Far North Province.

Government programmes to increase tourism in Cameroon began on 3 December 1974 when President Ahmadou Ahidjo issued an order that set the tourism industry aside as having special status [1] and established the General Commissariat of Tourism. [2] On 28 June 1975, Ahidjo reconstituted the body as the General Delegation for Tourism, whose purpose was to encourage private investment by airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. [1] The delegation publishes tourist literature and publicises Cameroon through advertising. [2] Ahidjo and his successor, Paul Biya, have set aside several game and forest reserves as further touristic draws. Improving air, rail, and road transportation to popular tourist sites has been another priority. [1]

Tourism infrastructure in Cameroon has steadily improved. The country offered 37 hotels with 599 rooms in 1960. This had risen to 203 hotels with 3,229 rooms in 1976. In 1980, the country offered 7,500 hotel rooms. Nevertheless, the vast majority of these rooms are in two major cities, Douala and Yaoundé. [2] In 1971, 29,500 tourists visited Cameroon. This number had risen to 100,000 tourists in 1975, and 130,000 in 1980. Most visitors to the country come from France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Business travellers make up one of the largest segments of Cameroon's tourists. [3] The industry has made significant strides since the 1990s. [1] Cameroon is primarily French-speaking, but two provinces, the Northwest and the Southwest provinces, are English-speaking.

Barriers

Bush taxi being loaded in Batouri, East Province Alliance Batouri.jpg
Bush taxi being loaded in Batouri, East Province

Tourists face several obstacles in Cameroon. Photography is difficult, since Cameroonians often resent foreigners taking photographs of things that outsiders may consider strange or that may cast Cameroon in a negative light. The government forbids all photography of government buildings and personnel, airports, bridges, and markets. [4]

Treatment of tourists by Cameroonian officials has improved as the role of tourism as a source of revenue has been emphasised by the government. Tourists once faced long, thorough searches upon arrival in the country, but these have become rare. [5] Still, police or gendarmes sometimes accuse foreign tourists of spying or carrying out mercenary activities. [4] This is especially true for tourists who visit sites off the main tourist routes or who opt for cheap accommodation or public transport (e.g., mini-buses) over fancier hotels and rental cars. Police and gendarmes at roadblocks may harass foreign visitors for bribes. [5]

Tourist sites

Palace of the sultan of the Bamum people in Foumban, West Province Bamun Sultan's Palace 2.jpg
Palace of the sultan of the Bamum people in Foumban, West Province
Kribi Beach Plage Kribi38.jpg
Kribi Beach
Limbe Beach with people engaging in various activities Mer plage Limbe.jpg
Limbe Beach with people engaging in various activities

The Cameroonian government promotes the country as "Africa in miniature", asserting that the country offers all the diversity of Africa—in climate, culture, and geography—within its borders. [6] Other touristic phrases sometimes used include "the melting pot of Africa" and "Africa in microcosm". [7] Cameroon's tourist destinations are in four general areas: the coast, the major cities, the Western highlands, and the north. [8] The coast offers two major beach resort towns: Limbe is English-speaking with black, volcanic sand; and Kribi is a French-speaking city with white-sand beaches. [4] Mount Cameroon on the coast is the highest mountain in Central and West Africa and draws hikers and climbers. The stepping-off point for climbing Mt. Cameroon is the city of Buea, where guides can be hired and equipment can be rented. There are several tin-roofed huts for hikers to sleep in during their trek up the mountain. [9]

National Museum, Yaounde Musee National du Cameroun 01.JPG
National Museum, Yaounde
Reunification Monument, Yaounde Monument de la Reunification 03.jpg
Reunification Monument, Yaounde

Yaoundé is home to most of Cameroon's national monuments. It also has several museums. The Western highlands offer picturesque mountain scenery, waterfalls and lakes, and the altitude provides a cooler climate. Bamenda is the main city in the western highlands, and is the capital of the Northwest province. This area is known for its traditional culture and crafts. The city of Bafoussam is especially famous for its wood-carving culture and artifacts. In fact, the area produces more crafts than any other in Cameroon. The West is also home to traditional chiefdoms and fondoms, such as the sultanate of Foumban. Each chief typically has his own palace or compound which visitors may visit for a fee. [9]

Giraffes in Waza National Park Parc Waza9.jpg
Giraffes in Waza National Park

Cameroon's north is the nation's primary tourist draw. [9] The area has several wildlife reserves, including the largest and best-run in West Africa, Waza National Park. [10] These parks offer both animal viewing and big-game hunting. [11] Animals in this region include cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippopotami, and rhinoceroses. [1] Maroua offers a large crafts market and museums. [9]

The Adamawa, East, and South provinces offer a new front for expansion of the tourist industry, but poor transport conditions keep the industry small in these regions. [2] Forest reserves in the south have little tourist-oriented infrastructure, but visitors there may see chimpanzees, elephants, gorillas, and other rainforest fauna. [1]

Related Research Articles

Cameroon Country on the west coast of Africa

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Although Cameroon is not an ECOWAS member state, it is geographically and historically in West Africa with the Southern Cameroons which now form her Nord-Ouest and Sud-Ouest Regions having a strong West African history. However, since 2017, elements within the Sud-Ouest and Nord-Ouest regions have since declared an independent state called Ambazonia. The country is sometimes identified as West African and other times as Central African due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West and Central Africa. Cameroon is home to over 250 native languages spoken by nearly 20 million people.

Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement political party in Cameroon

The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is the ruling political party in Cameroon. Previously known as the Cameroonian National Union, which had dominated Cameroon politics since independence in 1960, it was renamed in 1985. The National President of the CPDM is Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon, while the Secretary-General of the RDPC's Central Committee is Jean Nkuete.

Ahmadou Ahidjo President of Cameroon

Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo was a Cameroonian politician who was the first President of Cameroon, holding the office from 1960 until 1982. Ahidjo played a major role in Cameroon's independence from France as well as reuniting the French and English-speaking parts of the country. During Ahidjo's time in office, he established a centralized political system. Ahidjo established a single-party state under the Cameroon National Union (CNU) in 1966. In 1972, Ahidjo abolished the federation in favor of a unitary state. Ahidjo resigned from the presidency in 1982, and Paul Biya assumed the presidency. This was an action which was surprising to Cameroonians. Accused of being behind a coup plot against Biya in 1984, Ahidjo was sentenced to death in absentia, but he died of natural causes.

East Region (Cameroon) Region in Cameroon

The East Region occupies the southeastern portion of the Republic of Cameroon. It is bordered to the east by the Central African Republic, to the south by Congo, to the north by the Adamawa Region, and to the west by the Centre and South Regions. With 109,002 km² of territory, it is the largest region in the nation as well as the most sparsely populated. Historically, the peoples of the East have been settled in Cameroonian territory for longer than any other of the country's many ethnic groups, the first inhabitants being the Baka pygmies.

Ambazonia secessionist entity in West Africa

Ambazonia, officially the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and commonly referred to as Amba Land, is a self-declared state, internationally considered an autonomous anglophone state of the UN-created Cameroon federation of 1961. The federation was controversially abolished between May 1972 and January 1984 by the majority French-speaking political leadership of Cameroon. Since that time the component federal state of French-speaking Cameroon has attempted to re-emerge with English-speaking Ambazonia tagged onto herself as mere regions in an admitted assimilation project amidst fierce resistance. Ambazonia is the successor state to the former British Mandate Territory of Southern Cameroons. Situated in the Gulf of Guinea, Ambazonia is bordered by the Cameroon Republic to the east, Nigeria to the north and west, and the Bight of Bonny of the Atlantic ocean to the south. Its territory and population constitute an area of 42,710 square kilometres populated by roughly five million people.

Centre Region (Cameroon) Place in Cameroon

The Centre Region occupies 69,000 km² of the central plains of the Republic of Cameroon. It is bordered to the north by the Adamawa Region, to the south by the South Region, to the east by the East Region, and to the West by the Littoral and West Regions. It is the second largest of Cameroon's regions in land area. Major ethnic groups include the Bassa, Ewondo, and Vute.

Bamenda Place in Northwest, Cameroon

Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region. The city has a population of about 2 million people and is located 366 kilometres (227 mi) north-west of the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé. Bamenda is known for its cool climate and scenic hilly location.

Education in Cameroon

Cameroon is a Central African nation on the Gulf of Guinea. Bantu speakers were among the first groups to settle Cameroon, followed by the Muslim Fulani until German domination in 1884. After World War I, the French took over 80% of the area, and the British 20%. After World War II, self-government was granted, and in 1972, a unitary republic was formed out of East and West Cameroon. Until 1976 there were two separate education systems, French and English, which did not merge seamlessly. English is now considered the primary language of instruction. Local languages are generally not taught as there are too many, and choosing between them would raise further issues.

Limbe, Cameroon Place in South-West, Cameroon

Limbe is a seaside city in the South-West Region of Cameroon. Limbe was founded in 1858 on the southern slopes of Mount Cameroon by the British missionary Alfred Saker. At the 2005 Census, the population was 84,223.

Far North Region, Cameroon Place in Cameroon

The Far North Region, also known as the Extreme North Region, is the northernmost constituent province of the Republic of Cameroon. It borders the North Region to the south, Chad to the east, and Nigeria to the west. The capital is Maroua.

Languages of Cameroon languages of a geographic region

Cameroon is home to at least 250 languages. These include 55 Afro-Asiatic languages, two Nilo-Saharan languages, four Ubangian languages, and 169 Niger–Congo languages. This latter group comprises one Senegambian language (Fulfulde), 28 Adamawa languages, and 142 Benue–Congo languages . French and English are official languages, a heritage of Cameroon's colonial past as a colony of both France and the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1960. Eight out of the ten regions of Cameroon are primarily francophone, representing 83% of the country's population, and two are anglophone, representing 17%. The anglophone proportion of the country is in constant regression, having decreased from 21% in 1976 to 20% in 1987 and to 17% in 2005, and is estimated at 16% in 2015.

Rhumsiki Place in Far North Province, Cameroon

Rhumsiki, also spelt Rumsiki and Roumsiki, is a village in the Far North Province of Cameroon.

Constitution of Cameroon

The Constitution of Cameroon is the supreme law of the Republic of Cameroon. Adopted in 1972, it is Cameroon's third constitution. The document consists of a preamble and 13 Parts, each divided into Articles. The Constitution outlines the rights guaranteed to Cameroonian citizens, the symbols and official institutions of the country, the structure and functions of government, the procedure by which the Constitution may be amended, and the process by which the provisions of the Constitution are to be implemented.

Sport in Cameroon

Sports in Cameroon is practiced widely by the population and advocated by the national government. Cameroonians take pride in victories at international competitions, making sport an important source of national unity. Traditional sports in Cameroon include canoe racing, swimming, tug of war, and wrestling. Wrestling has featured in the initiation rites and other ceremonies of ethnic groups such as the Bakweri and the Duala. However, in modern times, sports such as basketball, boxing, cycling, handball, netball, and table tennis have become popular. The 40 km Mount Cameroon Race of Hope draws several hundred runners each year. Tourists hike, rock climb, and mountaineer, especially up Mount Cameroon. Yaoundé, Tiko and Kribi have golf courses. Rugby union is also played, with about 15 clubs and 3000 players nationally.

Outline of Cameroon Overview of and topical guide to Cameroon

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cameroon:

Nkambé Place in Northwest Region

Nkambe is a city in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It is the headquarters of the Donga-Mantung department. Nkambe Central is also the name of one of the five communes in Donga-Mantung. Nkambe lies at the north edge of the Bamenda Grassfields, on the northeast arc of the Ring Road, farthest from Bamenda. The Nigerian border is only 25 or 40 km away, but roads toward the border are undeveloped jungle tracks.

The mass media in Cameroon includes independent outlets. The nation has only one national newspaper, which is state owned.

Menchum River river in Cameroon

The Menchum River and its tributaries drains a large area of the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It in turn is a tributary of the Benue River in Nigeria.

The Anglophone Problem, as it is commonly referred to in Cameroon, is a socio-political issue rooted in Cameroon's colonial legacies from the Germans, British, and the French.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Neba 173.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gwanfogbe, et al., 115.
  3. ↑ Gwanfogbe, et al., 116.
  4. 1 2 3 Neba 174.
  5. 1 2 Hudgens and Trillo 1036.
  6. ↑ DeLancey and DeLancey 16.
  7. ↑ West ix.
  8. ↑ Neba 174–5.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Neba 175.
  10. ↑ Neba 76.
  11. ↑ Neba 179.
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