Global Journal of Management and Business Research, F: Real Estate, Event and Tourism Management, Volume 23 Issue 3

In Cameroon in particular, the tourism sector is a complex one, involving a number of socio-political and cultural players. Faced with a plethora of tourism sectors in Cameroon, the state was obliged to organise it by creating a Ministry of Tourism and Leisure, which succeeded the National Tourist Office, with 03 external services: the European, Asian and American information offices, not forgetting several other organisational and trade union partners. The ministry in charge of the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure at national level plays a coordinating and harmonising role for the many private and public sector companies. The governance of the tourism industries in Cameroon is defined primarily by the policy of the central power (the Head of State). This is done through Law No. 2016/006 of 18 April 2016, which governs tourism and leisure activities in Cameroon by laying down the framework for legislation on commercial activities, the specific rules applicable to tourism and leisure activities with a view to economic development; the promotion of national culture; national integration and the mixing of peoples; the protection and safeguarding of national tourist and cultural values, as well as the environment; and the enhancement of the national tourist heritage. This specifically concerns any activity that contributes to the provision of accommodation and catering services to meet the needs of people travelling either for pleasure or for professional reasons, as well as the provision of leisure services and any activity organised for the sole purpose of entertainment (Décret régissant l’activité touristique et de loisir au Cameroun, 2016). In this law, emphasis is placed on the need for structures involved in tourism and tourist safety to take out an insurance policy. Generally speaking, the tourism sector in Cameroon is characterised by weak structuring, a lack of technical and financial capacity, and a lack of support despite Cameroon's abundant cultural heritage. Notwithstanding this deficit, a number of projects are being developed with the aim of highlighting tourism potential and thereby meeting certain modern challenges linked to the tourism sectors. Following the example of West Cameroon, a number of local players, including mayors, traditional chiefs, private promoters and cultural and heritage players, have developed a project through the "route des chefferies" programme, which focuses on three points: • Improve the conservation and scenography of heritage sites, develop a natural site and support the craft industry with its capacity-building and product labelling initiatives; • Promote and enhance this diversified and attractive tourist offer to the national public and establish the foundations for the structuring needed to attract international customers; • Structure and consolidate the governance of the system of tourism players in the regions (chiefs, mayors, private tourism promoters, craftsmen, cultural and heritage players), and strengthen their capacities. In the same vein, tourism training schools have been set up, such as the (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (EMCCA) regional hotel and tourism school in Ngaoundéré, the wildlife school in Garoua, the fine arts institute in Foumban and many others, which are key to the quality of services offered in the tourism sector. Faced with a changing world, tourism has to compete on several fronts. Competition from tourism markets and competition for labour. This desire on the part of the state to create a framework conducive to tourism training in training schools is proving to be relevant, as it constitutes a lever and even a key instrument in the process of developing the tourism sector. The tourism industries are a vehicle for the mobility of individuals, currencies and consumption patterns (Makou, 2016). People's mobility is characterised by their own particular motivations. For the most part, it is influenced by factors that contribute to the process of change in urban and rural areas, such as consumption patterns and standards of quality, comfort and safety in transport infrastructure and accommodation. In this sense, tourism is seen as a strategic development sector for countries, because at a systemic level it affects many sectors of society. In the light of modernity, this new sector is seeking to meet global demand by making itself attractive, in order to be competitive both nationally and internationally, and to implement strategies to retain tourists and attract new ones. The modernisation of the tourism sector as a whole is thus becoming the key to attracting people and developing tourism. Below, we look at how Cameroon is succeeding in consolidating tourism and modernity. a) The Tourism Situation in Cameroon: Between Heritage Preservation and the Demands of Modernity In Cameroon, the tourism industry occupies a predominant position and is seen as one of the factors that can contribute to the country's economic development, even if results in this sector are slow to materialise. Cameroon has a wealth of artistic, infrastructural, natural, human and cultural tourism potential which, according to (Tchindjang & Kamdem, s. d.), are important tourism factors that could represent the world's leading economic sector in the future. All the more so since Cameroon is recognised as Africa in miniature, and therefore a land of tourism par excellence. However, on an institutional level, a number of factors hinder the development of the tourism sector. Tourism Governance in Cameroon and the Challenges of Modernity : An Overview Global Journal of Management and Business Research ( F ) XXIII Issue III Version I Year 2023 18 © 2023 Global Journals IV . T ourism and M odernism