The Effects of Littering on Tourism in Limbe, Southwest Region of Camroon

Abstract

The Limbe municipality is one of the main touristic destinations in Cameroon but, is challenged by a serious litter. The purpose of this research is to know how littering affects tourism or the tourism industry in Limbe, Southwest Region of Cameroon, as well as to gain a better understanding of the community’s perception of littering and its environmental impacts. The methodology was based on a desk research (Literature review), meetings with government and private officials and a survey gauged on the development of the litter situation, the areas that are most affected by littering, community’s perception of the aspects of littering, tourist’s perception of littering, and the pattern of tourism in Limbe. The result of this study indicates that littering has significant effects on tourism in Limbe and the community's perception of littering and it's environmental impacts was poor. However, creating awareness of the eminent danger that litter pose to the environment is a step to begin with, increased incentives for clean-up campaigns, link tourism with other economic sectors, preservation of wildlife, and established good communication network is the way forward.