In 2013, Marie-noel Bitong started her internship in Cameroun having the opportunity to work at The Ministry of Tourism as well as at Hilton Yaounde. One of her goals was to make her home country known in Denmark. Ever since, she has been fighting to encourage tourism in Cameroun with the help of the Ministry of Tourism.
"I managed to persuade the Ministry of Tourism that they should invest more in making this destination known by people and more importantly, that Danes love to travel and therefore such an exotic destination may be very interesting for them. I was successful in convincing them, the reason why today I have this beautiful national stand here in Herning at the Ferie for Alle fair", says Marie-noel. It is not her first experience of this kind. The BA student from Dania in Randers also met great success at an international exhibition in Copenhagen. "After these two fairs, I can really see a lot of progress in my work and in the way things develop. I prepared intensively for this fair and I can see that every event is a learning experience to use for the next one and so on", says Marie-noel.
The power of persuasion
Marie-noel's quest started with her internship. While working with the Ministry of Tourism in Cameroun she found the chance to pitch her idea directly to those responsible for such decisions. By using her great persuasion skills, the International Hospitality Management student succeeded in exposing the potential of the Danish market while accentuating the great touristic opportunities in Cameroun. "I was offered the funding and support for a two-week visit around Cameroun in order to discover the best places to visit in Cameroun and to learn more about them in order to market them properly. After finishing the project, I presented my report to the Ministry of Tourism and they showed a big interest. This is how it all started and so far it goes very well", smiles Marie-noel.
The image of a nation
The laborious project received a lot of support and is already recognized as one of the most ambitious projects in the history of transport operations in Cameroun. "I was the first person to ever suggest the Scandinavian Market as a potential point of interest. I love talking to people about the culture of Cameroun and about the wonderful touristic attractions", says Marie-noel.
The Ferie for Alle fair in Herning was a great occasion for Marie-noel to apply her knowledge and to continue her quest. "During these three days of fair, I hope to meet as many people as possible. So far, visitors are very interested in learning more about Cameroun and about the attractive touristic packages that I designed. I am here as a representative of my country to invite everyone to come visit the virgin destination of Cameroun", tells Marie-noel Bitong.