rism & ou H f T o Paul Nkemngu, J Tourism Hospit 2012, 1:5 s o l p DOI: 10.4172/2167-0269.1000107 a i t n a r l i u t y o J Journal of Tourism & Hospitality ISSN: 2167-0269 Research Article OpOpenen Access Access Sustainable Tourism as a Springboard for the Development of the City of Buea (Focus Area – Case Study and Applied Research on Tourism as an Instrument for Community Development) Acha-Anyi Paul Nkemngu* Department of Tourism Management, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa Abstract The purpose of this study is to test the applicability of sustainable tourism theory within the sustainable community development framework. Starting with a review of literature on sustainable tourism and sustainable development, the study focuses on a project called “Achas Centre for Sustainable Community Development” (ACSCD). Based in the tourist hot-spot of Buea in the South West region of Cameroon, ACSCD operates on a theoretical framework designed to orchestrate development and shape the future of this mountainous (volcanic) city and its neighboring coastal city of Limbe. The research method employs the case study approach by exploring the conceptual base of this project that seeks to development tourism as a springboard for sustainable community development. The operating model of ACSCD reveals that the sustainable community development centre is complemented by the training centre “Achas Higher Institute of Sustainable Tourism, Hospitality and Business”. While the higher institute imparts the training that empowers community members with tourism and community development skills, the sustainable development centre channels these skills through identified focus areas into community development projects. The key finding of this study is that planning for the future and sustainable development of creative cities such as Buea, should be the outcome of both empowerment programs, the identification of essential development focus projects and the execution of such projects in the interest of sustainable community development. The significance of this study lies not only in its conceptualization of a new approach to sustainable community tourism development, but also its demonstration of the fact that sustainable community development is a result of both skills acquisition and the transmission of such skills into viable community development projects. Keywords: Sustainable tourism; Sustainable community these living in rural areas [4]. IFAD further states that “Rural poverty development; Achas higher institute of tourism; Hospitality and results from lack of assets, limited economic opportunities and poor business management education and capabilities, as well as disadvantages rooted in social and political inequalities” [4]. The problem here is the perpetuation Introduction of this untenable situation despite the fact that research since 1973 Travel and tourism contribution to Global gross Domestic Product [5-11] indicates that tourism can be used as a means of orchestrating (GDP) in 2011 is expected to stand at US$ 1,850.0 billion (2.8% of development. total GDP), increasing by 4.2% per annum to US$ 2,860.5 billion in Significance of the pilot project 2021. In the same vein, the industry’s total employment contribution is forecast to rise by 2.3% per annum from 258,592,000 jobs in 2011 The significance of this study lies both in improving the quality to 323,826,000 jobs (9.7%) by 2021 [1]. While the economic gains of life of community members and raising awareness on issues of emanating from this sustained growth in the tourism industry are global concern such as the protection of endangered species, climate evident and laudable, the translation of these benefits into visible change, health and so on. More so, by tailoring training and education developmental gains for poor communities has been the subject of to relevant community development projects, the challenges posed by much debate [2]. Despite the plethora of literature on guidelines for jobless graduates will be curbed, if not eliminated. Other specific gains the use of tourism to orchestrate sustainable community development, will include job creation, social cohesion, peace and foreign exchange there are still few practical illustrations to showcase the successful flows to the local economy. implementation of these guidelines. This, in essence is the motivation for this experimental study that seeks to apply sustainable tourism theory to catalyse development in the mountain town of Buea in the *Corresponding author: Acha-Anyi Paul Nkemngu, Department of Tourism South West region of Cameroon. Management, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa, Tel: 0027- (0)-72-589-8973; Fax: 0027-(0)-12-382-4611; E-mail: [email protected] Problem statement Received July 20, 2012; Accepted October 31, 2012; Published November 05, At the beginning of the present millennium, the United Nations 2012 General Assembly committed itself to “Spare no effort to free fellow Citation: Paul Nkemngu AA (2012) Sustainable Tourism as a Springboard for the men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing Development of the City of Buea (Focus Area – Case Study and Applied Research conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are on Tourism as an Instrument for Community Development). J Tourism Hospit 1:107. doi:10.4172/2167-0269.1000107 currently subjected” [3]. More than one decade after this commitment, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reveals Copyright: © 2012 Paul Nkemngu AA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits that there are still about 1.4 billion people living on less than US$ 1.25 unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the a day and close to one billion suffering from hunger, with 70 percent of original author and source are credited. J Tourism Hospit ISSN: 2167-0269 JTH, an open access journal Volume 1 • Issue 5 • 1000107 Citation: Paul Nkemngu AA (2012) Sustainable Tourism as a Springboard for the Development of the City of Buea (Focus Area – Case Study and Applied Research on Tourism as an Instrument for Community Development). J Tourism Hospit 1:107. doi:10.4172/2167-0269.1000107 Page 2 of 7 Background to the Study 1.9% of total investment in 2011. It should rise by 7.6% pa to reach FCFA 93.9 billion (or 2.4%) of total investment in 2011. The Cameroon tourism situation Site and population of the study Cameroon is commonly described in tourism circles as Africa in miniature as most of the attractions found on the continent can be Buea, capital of the South West region of Cameroon (Appendix seen in the country. However, the contribution of tourism to economic 1) is the site of this experimental study, hence the base of the two development in Cameroon can be described as a missed opportunity operating structures: Achas Higher Institute of Tourism, Hospitality as the country occupies an unenviable position 148 out 181 in world and Business Management and Achas centre of sustainable Community rankings in terms of the relative contribution of tourism to national Development. The choice of Buea as the study site is strategic economy [12]. This situation is quite unfortunate considering the high considering that the region is endowed with two flagship attractions, unemployment rate in the country (estimated at between 30 to 50.2 namely the volcanic Cameroon Mountain (the highest peak in West percent) on the one hand, and the great potential of tourism to create Africa -Appendix 2) and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean flowing jobs and generate incomes on the other. through the coastal town of Limbe (Appendix 3). With a vibrant population of 90, 088 inhabitants [13], this University town also has In his address to the Cameroon National Tourism Board on huge political and historic significance, hence its historic colonial December 28, 2010, the Cameroon Minister of Tourism, Baba significance as the capital of German Kamerun (1901-1919-Appendix Hamadou revealed the government’s recognition of the strategic role 4) and capital of Southern Cameroons from 1949 to 1961. The that tourism has to play in the country’s vision of becoming an emerging annual mount Cameroon race in February of every year, the amazing country by 2035. The Minister also indicated that Cameroon received mountain trails, the indigenous Bakweri culture (Appendix 5) among 572,728 international visitors in 2010, contributing FCFA 28.64 billion others, beautifully complement and complete the variety of attractions through entry visas to Cameroon, FCFA 2.66 billion through airport in this area. stamps and FCFA 59.142 billion from taxes and duties. Tourism direct employment in Cameroon currently stands at over 60,000. Literature Review By 2035, tourism is projected to contribute 13 percent to the Gross Community tourism Domestic Product (GDP), generating FCFA 250 billion to the state treasury. Over the same period, the accommodation sector is expected Hall [14] describes tourism as an expression of lifestyle “identified to grow to 5689 hotels with a capacity of 156,023 rooms and 170,260 either through voluntary travel or a voluntary temporary short-term beds. change of residence”. The motives of such travel are increasingly wide- ranging, including among others education, business, health and leisure. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council [12], key Following on this, Cooper et al. [15] indicate that the core elements of projections on tourism in Cameroon in the year 2011 are as follows: tourism arise out of the movement of people to and their stay in various • GDP: Direct contribution destinations outside their usual environments and places of work. This in turn fuels the demand for various facilities and services designed to The direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is expected be provide for and ease the transition and temporary residence of visitors FCFA 263.6 billion (2.3% of total GDP) in 2011, rising by 5.4% in the host community.