Cameroon: Tourism Promotion – Continued Attempt

In 2010, Cameroon reached the 500 000 target for tourists visiting the country in one year, as required by the World Tourism Organization.

Thus, Cameroon has become a tourist destination. It’s time to communicate the correct number and let the world know that people can visit Cameroon and will be much to see.

In this regard, the Ministry of Tourism, 20 June 2011 started a five-day workshop for journalists to get them to understand the principles of the industry and to transmit the message to the public on what can be seen in the country. The initiative to involve journalists in the commercialization process in Cameroon is also commendable. But looking at the media landscape in the country, it would not be enough to make Cameroon tourists and wants to return. President Paul Biya said that it is not only appropriate to invite people to visit the country, but it is far better to agree to return after visiting once.

As such, one can imagine that the current move by tourism officials is an additional step in the process of developing a consistent tourist guide for the country. For instance, tourists arriving in Cameroon should be able to receive brochures and flyers at the airport, telling them of the areas to visit in the country and how to get to such localities. It would even mean telling them honestly what surprises to expect, so that they should be able to willingly make the choice to continue the journey or not.

Moreover, the next step that the officials must target should be attitudes that leave weird memories in visitors once they set foot on Cameroonian soil. Harassment of all sorts, lack of ethical values, immorality and cruel absence of courtesy, are just examples of the undesirable habits that need to be weeded out of our national character to be able to sustain the number of tourists who come into the country. Their return would in itself be an added incentive to encourage others to join, thereby increasing the current number.

Invariably therefore, marketing the country must not only be a constant reality, but also a collective responsibility whereby Cameroonians themselves try to know their country by travelling. It may be easy here for people to say that they lack the means to do so. But again, there is no gainsaying that even those who can afford such trips hardly think that the first destination to visit is Cameroon. They prefer to travel abroad, irrespective of the cost.

As journalists receive lessons on how to spread the good news about the tourist attractions in the country, it would be indispensable that a more coherent strategy be put in place on a permanent basis for Cameroon to make the required gains from the tourism industry. Nations that hardly boast of the potentials of Cameroon have had huge contributions to their Gross Domestic Products coming from tourists. Yet, those who take the courage to visit Cameroon often go back wondering why so much indifference towards such fascinating attractions.

With the increasing level of globalization, the only person able to communicate in different parts of the world. And in situations where you do everything to not understand the importance of marketing their values, it would be difficult to create a lasting impression. Therefore, the determination to change the tourism industry in Cameroon is seen as a collective responsibility.