Cameroon has an old tourism sector, that has been in place since 1970. The sector is for sure a small one, but has over the years been growing. The government has however been putting in efforts to support the system in many different ways in other to encourage the sector. Cameroon exhibits different types of tourism. Some of them are; eco-tourism, cultural tourism, health tourism, environmental tourism, sea side tourism, safari tourism, mountain tourism etc. Amongst these listed types, cultural and eco-tourism are the most outstanding ones that call for attraction because Cameroon is rich in culture and has a vast land of forests with different species of plants and animals. Thus, most tourists visit the country most at times for either of the two types of tourism. Cameroon has over 200 ethnic groups, making its culture a very large one (Ngota 2018.)
Ecotourism is a form of tourism directed at preserving fragile environments and eco-systems. Ecotourism commonly occurs in threatened natural environments, where the intention is to provide conservation. Ecotourism efforts include building tourist facilities that have minimal impact on the natural environment, adopting the use of products such as compost toilets or solar-powered electricity. (Tourism Teacher 2019.)
Ecotourism is a sub-component of the field of sustainable tourism. Ecotourism’s perceived potential as an effective tool for sustainable development is the main reason why developing countries are now embracing it and including it in their economic development and conservation strategies. Ecotourism, as an alternative tourism, involves visiting natural areas in order to learn, to study, or to carry out activities environmentally friendly, that is, a tourism based on the nature experience, which enables the economic and social development of local communities. It focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well as cultural artifacts from the locality. Carefully planned and operated ecotourism sites, especially if it is village-based and includes local participation, is able to provide direct benefits that might offset pressure from other less sustainable activities that make use of natural and cultural resources. Ecotourism, natural resources, cultural heritage, rural lifestyle and an integrated tourism is a type of local economic activities. Therefore, ecotourism in naturel and cultural areas was carried out with a number of elements in their natural 21 landscape and cultural landscape (water, vista, topography, vegetation, clean air), as well as in the variety of recreational activities suitable for all kinds of environments. Therefore, ecotourism and its natural assets and raw materials to create, as well as directing people to travel is an attractive force. (Kirper 2013.)
Ecotourism helps in community development by providing the alternate source of livelihood to local community which is more sustainable. Its aim is to conserve resources, especially biological diversity, and maintain sustainable use of resources, which can bring ecological experience to travelers, conserve the ecological environment and gain economic benefit. However, achieving the aims in ecotourism depends on whether they are environmentally and ecologically sustainable and economically applicable. Ecotourism helps in involving local community for the conservation of the ecology and biodiversity of the area that biodiversity in return provides the economic incentives to the local community. Eco-tourism contributes to conservation of biodiversity; sustains the well-being of local people; involves responsible action on the part of tourist and the tourism industry; promotes small and medium tourism enterprises; requires lowest possible consumption of natural resources; stresses local participation, ownership, and business opportunities, particularly for rural people; and above all includes the learning experiences. (Kirper(a) 2013.)
In the world today, cultural tourism is considered as one of the oldest forms of travel and it constitutes a continuing debate because of the meaning of the word culture. Culture means different things to different people. Adams (1995) defined cultural tourism as travel for personal enrichment but it is also defined as a commercialized manifestation of people’s desire to see how others live. This aspect of culture is based on satisfying the demand and the curiosity of tourists to view other people in their authentic environment as well as discovering the physical manifestations of their life style through their arts and crafts, music, literature, dance, handicrafts, language, rituals food and drink. The Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program (1999) defined cultural tourism “as the practice of travelling in order to experience historic and cultural attractions and at the same time learn about the community heritage in an enjoyable and educational way”. Lord Cultural Resources (1999) defined cultural tourism “as a visit by people from outsides the host community motivated wholly or in part by interest in 22 historical, artistic, and scientific or lifestyle heritage offering of a community, region, group or institution”.
Health tourism, also known as medical tourism, refers to the act of travelling to another destination for the purpose of medical treatment. Motivations of medical tourists may include reduced costs for treatments or higher quality of provision. Medical tourists may seek life-saving treatments unavailable to them at home, cosmetic surgery or dental procedures amongst a range of other medical needs. Popular destinations include India, Turkey and Panama. (Tourism Teacher 2019.)
Health tourism is consist of three main components; medical, wellness( health enhancement) , and spa. These components are different but they overlap as well. Wellness is quite broad, and its meaning goes according to various cultures, especially in the EU.For example, in the scandinavia wellness is mostly related to outdoor activities such as swimming and walking. In the southern parts of Europe wellness has a lot of connection with the seaside, the meditteranian diet, and also the slow pace of life. This makes the definition of wellness tourism even more diverse across the EU and could be seen as overlapping between wellness and spa tourism (Regiondo 2018.)
Environmental tourism is typically defined as travel to destinations where the flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. With increased awareness of the fragile nature of our planet and its beauty, it is not surprising that there has also been an increased demand for travel to unique and remarkable environments around the world, known as environmental tourism. This is the phenomenon of increasing travel to places of environmental interest. It is travel that focuses on the ecological surroundings of the destination, which is generally a place overflowing with natural beauty and wonder. The concept of environmental tourism is that people will become more engaged with the ecological and sociocultural concerns of the world through firsthand experience, and thus be more active in conservation and making change. The idea evolved in the late 1980s along with growing consumer awareness of issues 23 surrounding conservation and consumption. Not only is environmental tourism an adventure into the wilderness aimed at helping save the planet, but it also expands the profitable travel industry to developing countries where jobs are scarce and economies are struggling. Although the objectives of this type of tourism are well meaning, there are consequences that arise from the practice. (Achi 2020.)
Environmental tourism can have the added effect of creating more sustainable economies in places where if it were not for environmental tourism, resource exploitation would be the only other economic driver. Environmental tourism can replace mining, logging, and commercial farming in environmentally sensitive areas. Environmental tourism can preserve natural and cultural diversity by offering travelers a window into a new world in a non-intrusive way. Many developing nations are turning to environmental tourism to create a sustainable industry that requires minimal development. Environmental tourism has become a significant segment of the tourism industry, and the segment is growing very fast. To ensure that environmental tourism is ecologically sustainable, regulatory programs have been developed that set criteria for what can be considered ecotourism. (Kimbu 2010.)
Wildlife tourism, could be defined as the act of being close to nature as possible, amid fauna and flora. This form of tourism practice, has to do with nature, the natural surrounding and its occupance. This is described as a niche form of tourism with an immense popularity. Wildlife tourism has huge economic values, and is also eco-friendly. In wildlife tourism, tourists get to be exposed to different species of animals in a natural environment (background of nature). Here, the tourist gets to learn a lot about certain things regarding the animal world. For instance, the tourist learns more about animal group behavior, their patterns of communication, their social structure, social discipline codes, and their interaction and interpretation modes. Such reactions of these different species of animals, draws the attention and thrills the tourist to have fun. Wildlife tourism actually, has a long history behind its evolution and existence. This is basically a form of eco-tourism where the ecological balance is retained (Jagyasi 2013.)
Wildlife tourism in Cameroon, stands as one of the most important tourism types in the country. Cameroon has a variety of wild animal species with a vast forest area where these animals live. A good number of the animals in Cameroon are greatly endangered. For this reason, parks and reserves have been created to help protect these endangered species of animals. The protected land area in Cameroon covers about four (4) million hectares. This is approximately 9% of the total land area of the country. 24 The Limbe wildlife center (zoo) inhabits different wildlife animal species such as gorillas, chimpanzees, anacondas, elephants etc. Limbe, being a coastal city, attracts tourists the most to this wildlife attraction center (Mvo 2016.)
