Tourism sector must bounce back

Bangladesh’s tourism industry is a potential shot in the arm for the country’s deflated economy. There is no dearth of breathtaking natural landscapes in the country, and few can compete with traditional Bangladeshi hospitality. Yet the fact remains that Bangladesh remains excluded from the list of nations that people want to visit at least once in their lifetime.

However domestic tourism has been thriving in Bangladesh in recent years. Unfortunately, we are observing a different trend this year.

Actually, the tourism sector is facing tough times these days. According to a report published in The Business Post yesterday industry insiders – especially owners of hotels, resorts, restaurants and travel agencies – are worried that even though two weeks of Ramadan have already passed, they are yet to receive an adequate number of bookings from holidaymakers despite offering up to 30 per cent discounts.

They expressed concerns that high inflation, increasing prices of daily commodities, fewer days of holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr, and the SSC exams scheduled in April will lead to fewer tourists at hotspots during this Eid.

We have stated time and again that as with other industries, tourism too cannot flourish without proper planning, investment, and marketing and sound government policies. Despite the growth of the domestic tourism industry, many popular destinations lack modern amenities such as high-speed internet and cashless banking, at times even a proper basic health unit.

In the word of experts,’ quality services, including accommodation and transportation services, needs significant improvement. We 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.

Many countries have turned their tourism industry into a lucrative source of earning foreign revenue and endorsing their countries at the same time. 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.

Bangladesh is blessed with plenty of naturally stunning travel destinations to explore, starting from coasts and beaches to other archaeological, and 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 tourist attractions.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, realizing the immense potential of tourism in this country. Her daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina established the Bangladesh Tourism Board through Tourism Act-2010. Tourist police were formed in the same year.

The Bangladesh Tourism Board is playing a vital role in policy-making, promotion, international communication, marketing, public opinion and awareness-raising tourism. People of all classes, including organizations associated with the tourism sector, and professional organizations, should come forward to develop the tourism industry of the country.