Cameroon is heightening efforts to use its huge tourism potentials to attain the vision of becoming an emerging country by 2035. Prime Minister Philemon Yang, yesterday, December 28 chaired the seventh session of the National Tourism Board during which the Minister of Tourism, Baba Hamadou presented a paper on, “The contribution of tourism to Cameroon’s becoming an emerging country by 2035”.
Minister Baba Hamadou disclosed that in 2010, Cameroon received 572,728 international tourists, contributed over three per cent of the country’s Public Investment Budget, stating projections that the sector would contribute 13 per cent by 2035. He compared the number and income to the entire African continent that received 42.2 million international tourists in 2010 and the corresponding income of FCFA 1,200 billion. Based on the present statistics, the Minister projected into 2035. He said in the expiring 2010, Cameroon has 2,539 hotels of all categories with 38,773 rooms and 44,110 beds. Considering that each year in Cameroon there is an average construction of 130 hotels with 4,690 rooms and 5846 beds, there are projections that in 2035, the country will have 5689 hotels with 156,023 rooms and 170,260 beds. He said information from the National Institute of Statistics now show that there are 9000 tourism enterprises in Cameroon that generate at least 60,000 direct jobs. Baba Hamadou stated at the end of 2010 the tourism sector is expected to generate FCFA 28.64 billion through entry visas to Cameroon, FCFA 2.66 billion through airport stamps and FCFA 59. 142 billion from taxes and duties. The Minister projected that in 2035, the tourism sector would generate FCFA 250 billion into the State treasury.
The Tourism Minister cited projects targeted to develop ecotourism in the country. For Cameroon to achieve the objective of using the tourism industry to become an emerging country in 2035, Baba Hamadou proposed the strengthening of institutional framework, financing of tourism, training, adoption of the Tourism Investment Code and Tourism Development Fund.
The Prime Minister, Baba Hamadou said, congratulated the Ministry of Tourism for efforts made at increasing the number of tourists who come to Cameroon. He disclosed that the Head of Government during the session that held behind close doors, instructed members of the National Tourism Board to hasten the adoption of the Tourism Investment Code and the implementation of all recommendations.
