Revisiting Sport and Tourism Interrelationships: The Case of Cameroon

This study seeks to examine the nature of sport and tourism interrelationships in Central Africa, using Cameroon as a case study area. Using a mixed-method research paradigm, the study assesses such linkages within a complex socio-political environment on the basis that such interrelationships have been studied from a developed world context where the socio-political environment is conducive to sport tourism development, unlike in the current study. Questionnaire surveys (n=1186) were conducted with sport tourism event attendees in four major events in Cameroon, complemented by interviews with key resource personnel (n=16) in the industry. The key findings indicate that the interrelationships between sport and tourism in this context are relatively weak, especially at the policy and planning levels, despite there being potential for strengthening of these at the local operational level for sustainable tourism development. Additionally, such interrelationships between sport and tourism present unique challenges that are informed by the developing world context of the study and thus require a rethink in planning and management.