A views-exchange meeting on the prospects of Bangladesh’s tourism industry and measures needed for its development was held on Monday, September 21, at the Shailaprapat Auditorium of the Tourism Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka, with participation from government and private-sector stakeholders.

Organised by the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), the meeting titled “Prospects of Bangladesh’s Tourism Industry and Measures for Its Development” focused on ways to utilise the sector’s potential to create employment, support the rural economy and increase tourism’s contribution to the national economy.

State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin MP attended the meeting as chief guest. The special guests were Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary A B M Abdus Sattar, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhter NDC, and Planning Commission Member (Secretary) Dr Nurunnahar Chowdhury. BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman chaired the meeting.

BPC General Manager Mohammad Ziaul Haque Howlader presented a keynote paper on the country’s tourism industry. Representatives of government and private stakeholders, along with members of the media, discussed the sector’s potential, challenges and possible measures to address them.

In his speech, State Minister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin stressed the need to improve basic infrastructure for tourism, including roads, transport, airports, river ports and accommodation facilities. He called for international-standard tourism facilities at potential destinations, development of skilled tour guides, and promotion of traditional and regional cuisine.

He also called for coordinated efforts by relevant ministries and private-sector stakeholders, including the ministries of Culture, Home Affairs, Land, Local Government, Housing and Public Works, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Shipping, to develop and expand the tourism sector.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary A B M Abdus Sattar said Bangladesh’s economy could be transformed through the development of the tourism industry. He called for preservation of the country’s tourism attractions alongside the introduction of modern facilities.

Highlighting river tourism, he proposed introducing a circular waterway for tourists around Dhaka. Such a service would allow visitors to experience the beauty of Bangladesh’s rivers as well as the lifestyles along their banks, river-based culture and heritage sites along the waterways, he said.

He also stressed the need to strengthen links between the public and private sectors. Policy support for the private sector, attracting foreign investment and increased government budget allocations for various programmes would be pursued, he said.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhter said the government has set a target to significantly increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the economy. At a district commissioners’ conference, a target was also outlined to raise tourism’s contribution to 6–7%.

She said the election manifesto had placed emphasis on simplifying visa procedures, introducing an AI-based travel app, developing skilled tourist police, and promoting district-based community tourism, ecotourism and water tourism to make Bangladesh more attractive to tourists.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has already organised these commitments into short-, medium- and long-term action plans and initiated steps for their implementation, she said.

Planning Commission Member (Secretary) Dr Nurunnahar Chowdhury said the BPC should move forward with larger plans alongside its ongoing projects. She called for initiatives to develop international-standard tourism facilities in Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet, Kuakata, Khulna, Bagerhat and other tourism-rich areas.

She also suggested that project proposals could be submitted under the Ministry of Finance’s Creative Economy programme.

BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman said one of the corporation’s key recent initiatives was to identify the country’s tourism potential more extensively. A total of 1,498 tourism spots have already been identified across the country, he said.

Of these, 60 development projects, estimated to cost around Tk 19,000 crore, have been prioritised and submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, he said.

According to the chairman, implementation of the proposed projects could raise tourism’s contribution to the national economy to 8–10%. The number of people currently employed in the tourism industry, estimated at around 2.4 million, could also double, he said.

He added that the initiatives could help establish a foundation for a circular economy in the country and stimulate the rural economy.

The chairman said future plans for the development and expansion of the tourism industry would be formulated based on the recommendations and views received at the consultation meeting.