BPC to be made tourism authority
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
The government has decided to turn Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation into National Tourism Authority by December next for better exploitation of the potentials of the country's tourism sector, reports UNB.
The National Tourism Authority will be set up through the enactment of Tourism Act by the end of the year as the government now looks for complete privatisation of the prospective sector.
Newly appointed chairman of the corporation Joint Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehedi made the disclosure at an opinion-exchange meeting with journalists at his office at noon.
"By December, the present Parjatan Corporation will be turned into a National Tourism Authority. The present government wants to see the tourism sector grow as a real industry that will help earn huge revenues and create jobs," Shafiq Alam said.
After the formation of the National Authority, he said, Parjatan Corporation would withdraw it from all types of business affairs. "The National Authority will only play the role of facilitator and supervisor of all the activities of various institutions in the sector."
The new chairman said the tourism sector in Bangladesh is "limping" and it will have to be reformed radically.
The tourism sector requires immediate development of infrastructures like construction of roads, hotels and motels apart from ensuring security of the tourists both from home and abroad in every spot, he said.
Shafiq Alam said, "The government is now working to attract investments from home and abroad to bring about a massive change. The present infrastructures are no longer effective to satisfy the tourists. At least we should attain the quality of the Maldives and Nepal."
The National Tourism Authority will be set up through the enactment of Tourism Act by the end of the year as the government now looks for complete privatisation of the prospective sector.
Newly appointed chairman of the corporation Joint Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehedi made the disclosure at an opinion-exchange meeting with journalists at his office at noon.
"By December, the present Parjatan Corporation will be turned into a National Tourism Authority. The present government wants to see the tourism sector grow as a real industry that will help earn huge revenues and create jobs," Shafiq Alam said.
After the formation of the National Authority, he said, Parjatan Corporation would withdraw it from all types of business affairs. "The National Authority will only play the role of facilitator and supervisor of all the activities of various institutions in the sector."
The new chairman said the tourism sector in Bangladesh is "limping" and it will have to be reformed radically.
The tourism sector requires immediate development of infrastructures like construction of roads, hotels and motels apart from ensuring security of the tourists both from home and abroad in every spot, he said.
Shafiq Alam said, "The government is now working to attract investments from home and abroad to bring about a massive change. The present infrastructures are no longer effective to satisfy the tourists. At least we should attain the quality of the Maldives and Nepal."