Critical Views on Tourist Attractions in Yaounde’s Real Estate Landscape

The tourist attractions of Yaounde’s real estate landscape, particularly accommodation centers, have often mobilized international and internal migration. The political capital of Cameroon, considered an “Africa in miniature,†particularly Yaounde, is expected to attract more foreign tourists as part of international tourism. The objective is to study the socio-economic markers, the urban planning policy and the traditional cultural identity values in terms of shaping tourist attractions.. Ethnographic, quantitative, and qualitative surveys made it possible to map tourist flows to Yaounde and to compile descriptive statistics on arrivals and overnight stays by non-residents and residents. Field observations were conducted in the hills, marshy lowlands, and traditional chiefdoms of the Mfoundi division to assess the interactions between populations and their environment. The results revealed a greater number of residents than non-residents by over 80%, and a significant participation of Cameroonian nationals. The spontaneous occupation of marshy lowlands and hills hinders ecotourism. The lack of cultural promotion of traditional chiefdoms represents a loss of revenue for tourism. The aim of this paper is to develop tourist attractions in traditional chiefdoms, and to shape Yaounde’s marshes and hills for sustainable tourism.