Bangladeshi experts link innovative marketing strategy to turn tourism industry into multi-billion dollar

---

SEOUL, South Korea, June 1 (BSS): Bangladesh has the potential to turn tourism and hospitality industry into a multi- billion dollar one after the Readymade Garment (RMG) riding on the aggressive campaign, experts said in Seoul on Saturday. They insist on the government to come up with strategic plan and innovative marketing strategy to reach the goal. "We've very risky package of export basket as garment is the main export item. Tourism is now the ready product that can backup RMG industry if the latter faces any problem," Taufiq Rahman, Chief Adviser of Tour Operators' Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), told the news agency on Saturday on the sidelines of the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA- 2013). The KOTFA began in the Korean capital on May 30. Bangladesh Tourism Board, the National Tourism Organisation (NTO) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism opened a pavilion in the fair with the aim to present Bangladesh as an attractive tourist destination in the world. Seven tour operators-Journey Plus, Escape Bangladesh Ltd, Blue Sky Holidays , Riverain Tours, ANNEX Travel and Consulting Group, Creative Tours and Travels and Autarky Tours Bangladesh-are participating in the show at Coex Exhibition Centre. Taufiq, also Chief Executive Office of Journey Plus, lauded the government for formation of Bangladesh Tourism Board and suggested that there should be more representation of private sector in the board. He said tourism industry is such a potential industry that can contribute 40-50 per cent to the national economy in the next 20 years if the government comes forward to provide the sector with facilities required. Referring to the statistics of UN World Tourism Organization (WTO), he said last year the world witnessed $ 6.6 trillion earning and more than one billion tourists traveling across the world. One million tourists travelled Pakistan alone last year and the same number of tourists visited Myanmar, he said adding that only 0.25 million tourists travelled Bangladesh during that period. Syed Mahbubul Islam Bulu, Director (legal) of TOAB, said tourism is a lone sector that keeps 100 per cent foreign currencies which no other industries including RMG industry can do. Foreign currencies come from the tourism industry are being disbursed in various sectors of Bangladesh, he said. Bulu, also Chief executive officer of Riverain Tours suggested that the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should work hand in hand for the flourishment of tourism industry. Besides, he said, ministry of cultural affairs should be linked with the tourism ministry, he observed.