Tourism gets new move, road show at Kolkata

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Pankaj Dastider
CHITTAGONG, Feb 10: Bangladesh has huge tourism potential in the peripheral areas of the Sundarbans as initiatives have been taken to beautify the same to attract tourists from India, Bhutan and other neighbouring countries.
With that end Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development (BFTD) has recently organized a road show at Kolkata. The show was aimed at attracting tourists from the Indian State of West Bengal to visit places of historical interests in Dhaka.
BFTD president AHM Hakim Ali told the FE that the three-day road show was highly successful as it touched the hearts of people of Paschimbanga who have long emotional ties with the people of Bangladesh. This is the first road show ever organized to boost up tourism in Bangladesh, he said.
"The aim was to spread awareness among Kolkatans about the country's tourism spots including Liberation War Museum, Bangabandhu Museum, Lalbag Fort, Suhrawardy Uddyan, Zoological Garden and Botanical Garden of Dhaka," he said.
Ali said, during the road show a van roamed every nook and corner of Kolkata and highlighted different tourist spots of Bangladesh.
Along with informing people about tourist sites the van operator distributed leaflets, pamphlets and brochures depicting attractive sites of tourism to the Kolkatan people.
Ali said quoting West Bengal Tourism Minister Rachpal Singh that the state government has placed a proposal to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to improve tourism infrastructure.
But the tourism industry has not developed as it has been in the South Indian states. In South India a number of hotels and lodges are situated near hospital and nursing homes, where people from across India and the neighbouring countries go for medical treatment.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Faruk Khan and Minister for Tourism of the central government of India Sultan Ahmed jointly inaugurated the road show organized on 19-21 January in association with India-Bangladesh Cultural Centre in Kolkata.
While inaugurating the road show Faruk Khan highlighted the country's tourism sector and pointed out that various problems faced by tourists in Bangladesh will be reduced soon when the country gets a tourism act. The proposed draft Bangladesh tourism act is almost final, said Hakim Ali quoting the minister.
India's Tourism Minister Sultan Ahmed pointed out that natural beauty of the Sundarbans must be protected and its peripheral areas will be beautified at the initiative of both India and Bangladesh so that the tourists from countries of this region are attracted.
He urged the state government of West Bengal to come forward with their helping hands to work together with Bangladesh because the Sundarbans is one of the greatest tourism potential sites for global tourists.
Ali told the FE that during the road show the tourism operators had also the business to business sessions of discussion. Businesses emphasized on making the visa process for tourists of both the countries easier.
They said visa processing for tourists from both the countries are very complicated and people often face harassment due to some bureaucratic tangles both in Bangladesh and India.