Garoua vs Yaoundé

Yaoundé leads Garoua by 19 points on the CIRA Index, 57 to 38. Garoua grades better on 2 measures, Yaoundé on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Garoua 38, Yaoundé 57
• OECD: Garoua 39, Yaoundé 55
• UN Tourism: Garoua 56, Yaoundé 64
• UNDRR: Garoua 28, Yaoundé 47

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Garoua 33, Yaoundé 56
• Economy and jobs: Garoua 67, Yaoundé 50
• Climate and hazards: Garoua 10, Yaoundé 45
• Water and environment: Garoua 75, Yaoundé 75
• Community and housing: Garoua –, Yaoundé 88
• Access and continuity: Garoua 33, Yaoundé 38

Where Garoua is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 3.6 % of the labour force (country figure) (World Bank / ILOSTAT, 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Direction Générale des Impôts & Direction Générale du Budget du Cameroun, Code Général des Impôts (Article 223) / PPA des Comptes d'Affectation Spéciale, 2024). Grade 3/4.

Where Yaoundé is stronger

• Average length of stay: 2 nights per visitor (region figure) (Ministère du Tourisme et des Loisirs (MINTOUL) / Institut National de la Statistique du Cameroun, Annuaire des statistiques du tourisme et des loisirs, 2013). Between 1.8 and 2.2: grade 1/4.
• Extreme heat days: 0 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Ministère des Transports / Camrail / Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority, 2024). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Cameroon: #108 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Cameroon: #108 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Garoua in full · Yaoundé in full

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