World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day is being observed today with the theme of 'Rethinking Tourism”.. Observed on the 27th of September every year, World Tourism Day is an important event that aims to raise awareness about the significance of tourism around the world. World Tourism Day was chosen by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 1979 and the celebration started in 1980.

Bangladesh is blessed with plenty of naturally stunning travel destinations to explore, starting from coasts and beaches to other archaeological, historic locations, from religious sites to hills and jungles. To harness the best possible output from our tourist attractions, we need to ensure security and build awareness regarding tourism. We need to find new ways to educate our people to communicate and serve better when they encounter tourists. Some people frequently complain that we cannot portray or highlight our tourism industry, compared to our neighbouring countries. In that, prospective people associated with the tourism industry must encourage the media and the youth to highlight our tourism attractions.

Currently, more than 4.5 million people are working in Bangladesh’s tourism industry. Experts predict that this sector will continue to create more jobs in the coming years. These days, many professional courses on hotel and hospitality management are available, and those are participating in such courses are opting to continue their career in this particular sector.

Our tourism industry is estimated to contribute more than 4 per cent to our GDP. Despite having a long list of different drawbacks, it is laudable that the Bangladesh tourism industry has enabled itself to this position today and showing signs of significant growth in the foreseeable future. The authorities have set a goal for the next ten years. They want to contribute more than 6 per cent to the GDP. They plan to do that by ensuring new tourist zones for foreigners.

Many countries have turned their tourism industry into a lucrative source of earning foreign revenue and endorsing their countries at the same time. Before the pandemic started, about 0.3 to 0.35 million tourists from abroad used to visit our country annually. Now the concerned authorities want to double that number in the coming decade.

We need to ensure a friendly, cost-effective, secure travel environment. We need to make sure cheaper transportation opinions are available, especially when it comes to domestic air transportation.

Many tourism industry insiders feel that it is high time we pay attention to foreigners’ requirements. Many foreign businesses are investing in our country, which means more foreigners are visiting our country. We need to strike the right balance between our culture and their requirements.

However, there are stumbling blocks on the path to the development of tourism. In the word of experts,’ quality services, including accommodation and transportation services, needs significant improvement. The authorities concerned should create a better travel-friendly environment. It is no secret that travelling in Bangladesh is still very costly; thus, we need to ensure the travel costs come down and remain within the grasp of everyday people.

We need to understand that while our domestic tourism continues to grow, the service providers in this field must find innovative ways to increase their capacities. Otherwise, it will be hard to create the same excitement among a particular group of tourists, especially among those who have travelled outside the country. We come across people who had experience travelling abroad talking about how they enjoyed different hospitality services abroad at a minimum cost.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Bangladesh’s tourism industry is a potential shot in the arm for the country’s deflated economy. The tourism industry can thrive only in an atmosphere of security and convenience for travellers. This is unfortunately missing at the moment.