Adamawa attracts tourists despite Boko Haram threats

Boko Haram, now Islamic state in West Africa has not dampened the desire of tourists to visit Cameroon waterfall area. Adamawa, hitherto spared of the attacks of the terrorist group, continued to attract visitors in the last two years.

L'Oeil du Sahel informs that "46 649 tourists have visited Cameroon's waterfall in 2013. Among them, the French and Asians top the list. Better, in 2014, the Adamawa has received 48,284 visitors, an increase of 1,635 tourists. For the first quarter of 2015, 25,753 tourists have already traveled the 106 tourist sites in the region."

The newspaper obtained the information from the statistics department head of the regional delegation of the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation (Mintoul). L'Oeil du Sahel specified that "these figures according to the officials in charge of Tourism in Adamawa shows that insecurity has had no impact on tourism."

To arrive at these results, "tourism officials and officials of public security have taken measures to destroy the terrorist threat of Boko Haram" says the bi-weekly.

"In the various hotel establishments, tourist and travel agencies, police and gendarmes with scanners screen all travelers," says the paper. In addition, notes the tabloid, "tourists are accompanied by licensed guide and sleep in hotels approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, in order to avoid the inconvenience that might occur. Likewise, tourists are escorted by elements of the police and the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR)."

Consequently, Adamawa remains one of the most visited regions of Cameroon even while visitors are gradually deserting its Far North neighbour.