27, July 2016
Philemon Yang to meet with National Tourism Board today in Yaounde 0
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.
Cameroon Tribune
27, July 2016
Yaounde lacking behind in leisure facilities for kids, CPDM government won’t talk!!! 0
Distraction is very important for children, especially during holidays. However, there exists few leisure facilities for children in Yaounde. Perhaps, the only ones are the merry-go-rounds at the Yaounde Conference Centre and in the premises of the Mahima Supermarket at Elig-Essono. Certainly, these are not enough to enable the city’s little children to have fun.
Moreover, getting to them and being attended to is not often easy, given the regular traffic jams in the city and the huge number of kids always waiting for their turn to enjoy themselves. In these centres, there are games like “Toboggan,” “slider,” “sand houses” and even swimming pools. There is also foodstuff like popcorn, ice-cream and drinks, especially those children prefer. The leisure centre at Elig-Essono is open from Mondays to Sundays, but children prefer going at weekends, making it always full.
Surey Kumar Singh, the man in charge of the Elig-Essono Mahima Leisure Centre, told Cameroon Tribune on July 26, 2016: “Even though there are few children around today, the little ones who come have real fun with the different games provided for them. The entrance fee is 1,000 FCFA and they are able to enjoy Toboggan and slider. For those who climb on to the merry-go-round, there is an additional 500 FCFA to pay because it needs electricity.”
In order to enable little children have real fun, music is provided for dancing. “So, when going home, they are very happy because they enjoyed their stay,” Surey Kumar Singh noted. As a result of the paucity of children’s leisure places in Yaounde, some parents prefer to get their kids engaged in other activities like sports, music and dance classes and outings in order to have fun and distraction these holidays.
Cameroon Tribune