Tourism, forestry ministries define platform for collaboration

A platform of collaboration has been set up between the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife to valorize the promotion of ecotourism in and around protected areas in the country.

The basis for the platform for collaboration between these two ministries were set up last August 12 during a solemn ceremony dedicated to the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding co-chaired by Minister of State, Minister of Tourism and Leisure, Bello Bouba Maigari and Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Ngole Philip Ngwese.

The Minister of State for Tourism and Leisure said the platform is a logical result of recommendations of the 2009 National Tourism Board chaired by Prime Minister, Head of Government, Yang Philemon.

Bello Bouba told reporters that “This ceremony is testimony that the government is one and works in synergy and full collaboration to attain the objectives as assigned by the President of the Republic.

We need the development of tourism and we intend to particularly develop ecotourism that is; a sustainable development of tourism in our country. To do that, we will develop ecotourism in protected areas which is under the responsibilities of the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife. We therefore have to work together and collaborate within the framework of this platform to see into it that tourism is developed and at the same time our protected areas are really protected to promote sustainable development.

The Head of State, the Prime Minister instructed all the stakeholders of the government to work in full collaboration in order to promote sustainable development in our country as we look forward to transforming Cameroon into an emergent country by 2035.”

On his part, Forestry and Wildlife Minister, Ngole Philip Ngwese said “Our signing of this platform for collaboration will solve the problem linked to conflicts over areas of competence. We are bound to work together as the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure is called upon to promote their activities in areas handled by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife mainly; our protected areas that is national parks and the rest. We have today formalized this platform.”