Community perceptions of the economic impacts of ecotourism in Cameroon
- Authors: Harilal, Vyasha , Tichaawa, Tembi M.
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Ecotourism , Economic impacts , Cameroon
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/460782 , uj:41016 , ISSN: 2223-814X , Citation: Harilal, V. & Tichaawa, T.M. (2020). Community Perceptions of the Economic Impacts of Ecotourism in Cameroon. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 9(6):959-978. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46222/ajhtl.19770720-62
- Description: Abstract: This study aimed to investigate community perceptions of the economic impact of ecotourism in Cameroon. Using a mixed-method research approach, based on two case study areas (the Mount Cameroon National Park and the Douala Edéa Wildlife Reserve), community surveys were administered to 442 households. In addition, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with relevant key informants. Key findings suggest that, while respondents generally agreed that ecotourism has many positive economic benefits, such benefits are often concentrated at government level, or contained within privately owned businesses. The lack of benefit sharing can be attributed to the low level of involvement of locals in the sector, unsuitable management practices that promote neither inclusiveness, nor the nomination of locals as economic beneficiaries of the sector, and an absence of dedicated ecotourism policy to guide the overall development and management of the sector. The study recommends that policies and strategies that encourage local economic development from ecotourism be established in the country, to ensure that the appropriate structures are put in place for the equitable distribution of the economic benefits to locals.
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Vulnerability and resilience of female farmers in Oku, Cameroon, to climate change
- Authors: Azong, Matilda , Kelso, Clare J. , Naidoo, Kammila
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Vulnerability , Cameroon , Gender
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/276054 , uj:29522 , Citation: Azong, M., Kelso, C.J. & Naidoo, K. 2018. Vulnerability and resilience of female farmers in Oku, Cameroon, to climate change. In African Sociological Review, 22 (1): 31‐53.
- Description: Abstract: The experience of climate change is filtered through ones existing cultural, social and economic vulnerabilities. The rural poor in natural resource dependent communities in various African countries are likely to be negatively affected by climate change. In many cultures female farmers are considerably worse off than their male counterparts. This study makes use of a life history methodology in order to examine the particular nature of the vulnerability experienced by rural women in Oku in the Bamenda Highlands region of Cameroon. Gender is linked to vulnerability through a number of factors. These include access to and control over land, division of labour, marriage relationships, access to education and responsibility for dependents. Participants’ life histories show how vulnerability in the region develops over time and is both complex and non‐linear. Nevertheless, the participants expressed how they used their agency, both individual and collective, in coping with vulnerability. They narrate different adaptation strategies employed including livelihood diversification, and changing farming practices. Understanding the role of gender in shaping women’s vulnerability is useful in informing the design and implementation of adaptation policies. This article makes an empirical contribution to the discussions on the need to engender climate change research, policy and actions.
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The nature of diasporic tourism in Cameroon : an opportunity for tourism development
- Authors: Tichaawa, Tembi M.
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Tourism development , Diaspora tourism , Cameroon
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/247688 , uj:25722 , Citation: Tichaawa, T.M. 2017. The nature of diasporic tourism in Cameroon : an opportunity for tourism development. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(4):1-13. , ISSN: 2223-814X
- Description: Abstract: While a number of studies have focused on diaspora tourism and the effects on communities, the focus has generally been on developed nation’s context with little focus on Africa, despite the high migration tendencies that have occurred to date. With specific reference to the Central African nation of Cameroon, this study examines the nature and the characteristics of diaspora tourism. It explores the contours of Cameroonian diasporas’ by way of profiling. The article argues that understanding the profiles of such a segment is important to understanding their behaviours and spending patterns, as well as their preferences for tourism marketers. Through a survey method, 281 respondents revealed the identities of such diaspora tourists as well-educated individuals, with high spending power, whose main reasons for visits were linked to visiting relatives and friends, conducting business, or attending a family event. The study argues that the segment is important for ‘turbocharging’ tourism development in Cameroon.
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