Valorisation touristique du patrimoine culturel et développement de bameka

Abstract

According to the forecasts of the WTO (World Tourism Organization) for the years to come, it is clear that in the coming years, the next development of tourism will come, not only from traditional forms of travel or holidays, including the beaches, the mountains, but alternative forms to the example of cultural tourism. The case of Cameroon, indeed rich in the diversity of its peoples, enjoys a tangible and intangible cultural heritage sometimes exceptional, unknown and less valued, yet it is a wealth generator. The locality of Baméka in the Hauts-Plateaux Division is not left out. In the framework of our research work, we have taken for example the tourist valorization of cultural heritage in Baméka to show how cultural tourism can be a lever of the socio-economic development of this locality. To this effect surveys, made during our trip on the field with towards the households heads and interviews with the resource persons, associated to different readings of the documents related to tourism in general and cultural tourism in particular. This has allowed us to collect data on the existence of a rich cultural heritage to Baméka, actions of their development as well as the impacts of their exploitation on the development of this locality. However, the different actions for valuing this cultural heritage, while generating profits to Baméka, including the creation of direct and indirect jobs and concurring to the improvement of the living conditions of the populations, remains limited when talking of development. This is caused by the regressive mentality of populations as well as the bafflement of culture. To make Baméka’s culture a genuine lift of development, it is essential to promote a sustainable cultural tourism in involving young people in any action backup, restore and recovery of the culture.