Bangladesh stands on the precipice of becoming a tourism hotspot, with immense untapped potential but the country fails to attract foreign tourists compared to neighbours because of poor tourism and airport infrastructure, complex visa policies, social restrictions, and lack of comfortable transportation facilities.
The absence of research and proper branding plans also hinders the growth of tourism in the country.
Tourism stakeholders say Bangladesh lags in attracting investments in the tourism sector owing to many challenges including lack of effective promotion, professionalism, proper management, infrastructure and safety.
Despite, passing nine months after missing the deadline, the country failed to formulate a tourism master plan. State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali said that the tourism master plan will be completed by December 2022 focusing on exploring eco-tourism, riverine, cruise, adventure, beach, archaeological and historical, pilgrimage and spiritual and ethno and rural tourism.
According to the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), the implementation of the 25-year tourism master plan will bring forth a revolutionary change in the country’s tourism industry. It will attract 10 million tourists by 2040 and $8 billion in revenue annually.
If the plan is implemented, the board officials expect the tourism sector will be the next growth engine for Bangladesh’s economy and help tourism become the third largest foreign currency earning sector of the country.
While awaiting the master plan's implementation, the current numbers are promising. In 2022, Bangladesh welcomed 529,286 international tourists, a significant increase from 135,186 in 2021 and 621,000 in 2019. Major sources of visitors include India, the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Turkey, Russia, and Japan, according to the tourism board.
The tourism sector contributes 3.02% to Bangladesh's GDP and employs 8.07% of the population, as per Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data. Furthermore, 29.21 lakh Bangladeshi tourists ventured abroad during the fiscal year 2019, as per the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Suitable management key to boost the sector
Dr M Badruzzaman Bhuiyan, a professor of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Dhaka University, said Bangladesh has massive natural beauty to attract foreign tourists, but mismanagement, unsafe, and uncomfortable transportation fail to attract them.
“Tourism management should be time befitting to bring more foreign direct investment (FDI), attract tourists, and create more employment in the sector,” Badruzzaman told The Business Post.
He stresses the importance of making the sector more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and professional. Ensuring the safety of tourists is paramount, and steps include increasing the number of tourist police and improving transportation in tourist areas.
“The touring spots in hill tracts, haors and marine tourism must be safe for tourists. We should increase the number of tourist police to ensure the safety of foreign and local tourists in those areas alongside comfortable transportation,” he added.
Tourism parks in Sabrang, Naf and Sonadia in Cox’s Bazar have the potential to bring a revolutionary change in Bangladesh’s tourism sector, owing to their geographical significance among South Asian countries. Many investors now want to invest in Bangladesh due to potential, he added.
“If the economy is stronger, the tourism sector will boom. Now around two crore Bangladeshis go into tourism and the number will reach 4 crore by 2026, and 8 crore by 2030. And, the number of foreign tourists may increase around 60 lakh by 2030 in Bangladesh,” he added
Badruzzaman also said around 40 lakh people are engaged in the tourism sector and it can create one crore jobs by 2030.
Stakeholders want integrated initiatives with private sector
Stakeholders are advocating for greater collaboration between the government and the private sector. They assert that integrating various dimensions of tourism, including inbound, domestic, and outbound, will be essential for growth. Building relations, bilateral discussions, and business partnerships are seen as critical strategies to overcome industry challenges, they said.
Abdul Kauiam Chowdhury, managing director of Hotel The Cox Today Ltd and Sweet Dream Management Ltd, told The Business Post that foreign tourists look for various entertainment after evening but the absence of such a system in Bangladesh makes them reluctant to visit the country.
“We want a master plan which will be formulated after talking to private sector representatives. And it must be implemented to boost the sector,” he added.
Shiblul Azam Koreshi, president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), said their over 750 members play an active role in bringing positive growth in Bangladesh’s tourism in this year thanks to flourishing the global economy amid a lot of challenges.
“Now we need to include everyone to develop inbound, domestic, and outbound tourism by finding out the various dimensional ways. We have to develop relations, bilateral discussions and business partnerships with the government, local and foreign agencies to boost the sector overcoming all challenges,” he added.
Calling for expanding visa-on-arrival for tourists, Shiblul claimed that there is no timely tourism development plan in Bangladesh like other countries. The country has on-arrival visa agreements with 61 countries. However, foreigners have to wait several hours to get visas after landing at the airport.
Mega events marking the WTD
Like other countries, Bangladesh will observe World Tourism Day 2023, themed “Tourism and Green Investment”, on September 27.
Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) will launch a four-day ‘Bangladesh Festival’ on the day at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
BTB Chief Executive Officer Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber said the festival represents a significant milestone as it is the first-ever festival in Bangladesh to showcase tourism offerings and service providers from various districts across the country.
