TITLE:
Determinants of Ecotourism Trade in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Grace L. Sama, Ernest L. Molua
KEYWORDS:
Cameroon, Services Trade, Tourism, Ecotourism, Welfare Enhancement
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Resources,
Vol.10 No.6,
June
27,
2019
ABSTRACT: Trade in services accounts for a large and growing share of both production and employment in Cameroon. Services have been among the fastest-growing components of Cameroon’s trade portfolio in sectors like telecommunications, information and communication technology, finance, transport and construction. Cameroon is endowed with potentials in the provision of services such as tourism, particularly ecotourism. However, the development of ecotourism still appears to be in its infancy. The country is still short of the objective to qualify as a developed tourism destination by the World Tourism Organisation standards. This raises important policy research questions. This paper examines the ecological assets and investigates the determinants of ecotourism in Cameroon; using an annual panel data of both primary and secondary data to analyse the economic, social, psychological and political impacts of ecotourism on local communities. The results revealed that the income of the origin countries, the price and the supply of available amenities in Cameroon significantly affect the demand for ecotourism services from Cameroon. The paper concludes that ecotourism has double-barrel potential to promote trade growth and enhance the welfare of local communities.