Ecoturismo y Desarrollo Sostenible en el Parque Nacional del Monte Camerún. Patrimonio natural e implicaciones profesionales para colectivos locales.

• Autores: Pascual Val Infante, Luis Lafuente Pascual
• Localización: Acciones e investigaciones sociales, ISSN 1132-192X, Nº 35, 2015, págs. 151-180
• Idioma: español
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in Mount Cameroon National Park. Natural heritage and professional implications for local groups.
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    A pesar de un modesto resurgimiento del sector turístico en Camerún durante la última década, actualmente los apoyos que ofrece el estado camerunés en este ámbito son más que limitados, habiendo sufrido un recorte considerable tanto a nivel de soporte logístico a través del desarrollo de infraestructuras, como en cuanto a aportaciones económicas y subvenciones directas se refiere.

    El objetivo de nuestro estudio es descubrir el potencial turístico del Parque Nacional del Monte Camerún, en la Región Suroeste del país, y determinar al mismo tiempo las dificultades de los colectivos de trabajadores que orientan su actividad profesional hacia el ecoturismo dentro de dicho espacio natural.

    Optando por una metodología de observación participante sobre el terreno, y contrastando nuestros datos mediante una revisión bibliográfica y documental sobre la realidad estudiada, llegaremos a comprender cómo el potencial turístico de la zona es considerable, valorando la riqueza de sus recursos naturales, y de forma paralela identificaremos las dificultades de los colectivos locales para lograr desarrollarse y permitir una mejora en sus condiciones laborales, revelando un grado de coordinación y organización interna de estos colectivos muy limitado.

    Como conclusiones destacamos entre otras que la oferta de iniciativas de turismo sostenible en la región es en gran medida apoyada por organizaciones y entidades extranjeras, las cuales ayudan a promocionar el potencial turístico de esta zona del Camerún, ya de por si con un patrimonio natural extraordinario, aportando un cierto flujo de visitantes que mantiene vivo el ecoturismo en la región, pero sin reforzar esta colaboración entre agentes locales e iniciativas exteriores, la supervivencia del turismo ecológico como motor de desarrollo sostenible a nivel local podría verse gravemente amenazada.

  • English

    Despite the slight upturn in the tourist sector in Came-roon over the past ten years, the support currently offered by the Ca-meroon state in this regard leaves a lot to be desired, having suffered considerable cuts both in logistic support affecting the development of infrastructure and also with regard to financial contributions and direct subsidies.

    The aim of our study is to uncover the tourist potential of Mount Cameroon National Park, in the south-west of the country and, at the same time, ascertain the difficulties faced by workers that orient their professional activities towards ecotourism within the context of this natural area.

    Opting for a methodology using participant observation on the ground, and contrasting our data with a literature and documentary review of the reality under study, will give us a better understanding of the considerable tourist potential in the region by assessing its natu-ral resources. At the same time, we also aim to identify the difficulties of the local groups in being able to develop and allow for improve-ment in their working conditions, revealing that these groups have a very limited level of coordination and internal organisation.

    Our conclusions draw attention, among other things, to the sus-tainable offer of tourist initiatives in the region being in large part sup-ported by foreign organisations and institutions, which help promote tourist potential in this part of Cameroon. In itself the park enjoys an extraordinary natural heritage, with a steady stream of visitors that keep ecotourism alive and flourishing in the region. However, without strengthening such collaboration between local stakeholders and fo-reign initiatives, the survival of ecotourism as a driver of sustainable development on a local level could well be seriously threatened.

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