A key meeting took place on 22 September 2026 at Host Hotel Nkolafamba, Yaounde to reactivate and strengthen ecotourism development at the Campo Ma’an National Park (CMNP), with a particular focus on gorilla “vision” tourism, a flagship initiative linked to the long-term habituation process of local gorilla populations. The gathering brought together government institutions, municipal and traditional authorities, technical and financial partners, and the private operator involved in implementation among which the project was represented by her technical coordinator and the environmental and social safeguards officer.

The meeting was organized against the backdrop of the Cameroon Vision 2035, which emphasizes strengthening the institutional and regulatory framework needed to boost tourism as a driver of inclusive economic growth and improved service quality. Although the relevant ministries Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), Ministry of Tourism and Leisure (MINTOUL), and African Travel Management (ATM), signed a collaboration agreement in October 2022  to promote ecotourism in Campo Ma’an, the anticipated plan has not progressed as expected. A prior meeting in January 2023, also supported by African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), helped discuss and validate the 2023 work plan, yet implementation remained limited.

Practical constraints have also affected progress, including access challenges to certain sites within the park, notably the island of Dipikar, which depends on the broken bridge over the Bongola. Meanwhile, the gorilla habituation project, piloted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), has reached maturity and is increasingly ready to enter an operational phase. Nevertheless, it faces ongoing difficulties, including poaching risks driven by multiple factors. To address this, teams previously proposed a test phase for visitor activities, followed by evaluation to guide further decisions.

Presided by  Mr. Serge Patrick TADJO, Sub-Director of Wildlife Conservation, the meeting aimed to:

– Review the current state of ecotourism development at CMNP,

– Consolidate orientations to strengthen the habituation program,

– Prepare the progressive opening of gorilla visits to the public, in strict alignment with conservation requirements.

After reviewing the draft joint order on the collection, allocation, and management of revenues generated through gorilla visits, participants adopted a resolution and established a roadmap for finalization.

The meeting confirmed that the project of the joint order, reviewed satisfactorily by participants was transmitted to the legal units of the three ministries for final drafting and signature by the competent authorities.

Action points were assigned to different groups. Conservation and administrative actors were tasked with updating justification documents for tourism opening, advocating for agenda inclusion in security meetings to facilitate safe tourist access, and supporting broader infrastructure discussions such as the Bongola bridge. Within MINFOF, a follow-up and evaluation committee for the service convention was recommended. Technical and financial partners were encouraged to mobilize resources to revitalize coordination mechanisms specific to gorilla tourism. Finally, ATM was asked to share the documentation required under the service convention ahead of evaluation.

By aligning conservation imperatives with clearer governance, financing, and community safeguards, the meeting marked a decisive step toward relaunching ecotourism and enabling a responsibly managed return of gorilla-vision tourism in Campo Ma’an.