Tourism Board: Modernising hotels for emergence

The National Tourism Board, set up in 1999, as an advisory body for tourism development in the country, holds its fourteenth session today July 27, 2016 in Yaounde.

The deliberations to be presided at by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, will centre on the theme “Developing the hotel industry in the perspective of Cameroon’s Emergence”.

The choice of the theme could not have been any better given the present context of Cameroon’s drive towards emergence and the upcoming continental football events in 2016 and 2019. Modernising the tourism industry ahead of these two important African female and male football events coupled with country’s quest to attain emergence, is a necessary impulse.

During the 13th session of the board in December 2015, the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang who is the chair of the National Tourism Board gave instructions in view of modernising the tourism and leisure industry.

The Prime Minister stressed on the intensification of dialogue between the public and private sector as well as the drawing up of a common training programme for operators to boost performance which will induce economic growth. Government’s policy on training of actors (proprietors, managers and personnel) of the tourism and leisure industry is already being implemented.

The Ministry of Tourism and Leisure has been organising a series of regional seminars for stakeholders of both public and private sector to upgrade skills and meet international standards. One of such seminars opened in Bafoussam, West Region on July 25, 2016, and will last for one week.

The creation of a reference school for tourism and leisure would further consolidate government’s policy on harmonising training and boosting performance in order to spur economic growth. Thus, today’s session would examine ways of developing the hotel industry so that its pivotal role towards emergence is clearly diagnosed.