Adopted in 2020 with promises of new infrastructure and services meeting international standards, the plan remains largely on paper.
Delays have been attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, bureaucratic hurdles, institutional inefficiencies, and, most recently, the interim government's decision to review the draft, sources involved with the process said.
Nuzhat Yasmin, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), told The Financial Express that the interim government has decided to reassess the draft plan developed under the previous Awami League administration.
"The draft is currently under review and will be submitted to the National Tourism Council for approval once finalised," she said, without specifying a timeline for completion.
Meanwhile, the sector's economic potential remains largely untapped. Currently, around 5.5 million people are directly or indirectly employed in tourism, with the master plan aiming to increase this figure to 21.94 million by 2040.
International arrivals remain modest. According to BTB, 0.66 million foreign passport holders visited Bangladesh in 2024.
"The master plan projects this number to rise to 5.58 million by 2040. Domestic tourism is estimated at around 20 million, though no academic research has confirmed this figure," a BTB official, speaking anonymously, said.
Implementation of the plan is expected to boost domestic numbers significantly, he added.
The master plan, prepared by Indian consulting firm IPE Global and submitted to BTB in June 2023, cost Tk 282.6 million. It was later forwarded to the National Tourism Council for approval at the end of that year but was not approved by the previous government.
Following a physical assessment and survey, the plan identified 1,498 tourist destinations across the country. These will be divided into 48 clusters, each equipped with communications systems and infrastructure such as hotels and motels offering essential services.
Shiblul Azam Koreshi, immediate past president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, welcomed the interim government's review.
"The plan was originally based on secondary data. We had raised objections to many aspects, but our concerns were largely ignored," he said, expressing hope that the government would finalise the plan soon and focus on effective implementation.
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