Awareness and Usage of Government Policies by Women Tourism Entrepreneurs in Cameroon.

Njinyah, Sam and Pendat, Mirabell (2021) Awareness and Usage of Government Policies by Women Tourism Entrepreneurs in Cameroon. In: New Frontiers in Hospitality and Tourism Management in Africa. Springer. ISBN 978-3-030-70170-3

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Abstract

The tourism and hospitality sector in Cameroon suffers from a lack of specific government policies for the development of the sector. However, different ministries are developing policies, which have implications for the performance of businesses in the hospitality sector. Nevertheless, little is known about the awareness and usage of policies by women owner-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the hospitality sector and how usage leads to benefits or challenges for their businesses. This chapter examines this knowledge gap. Through a content analysis of data on fifteen case studies of women-owned SMEs in Cameroon, from the UK Data Archive. The findings suggest that even though some women entrepreneurs were aware of existing directives, not all are using them and for those using them, the benefits have been disproportionate. The reason for the lack of awareness and usage of policies are discussed. This research contributes to the institutional perspective by explaining how institutions could create an enabling environment and a framework that could influence the outcome for businesses in the hospitality sector. Implications to policy and practice and limitations are also discussed.