Gains from tourism

Apart from the traditional countries that appeal to tourists, countries which have not been the favourites in the lists of tourists are seen these days as being visited in large number. This is because they possess considerable tourism potential but the same were not discovered by the tourists, until recently, or that tourists or tour operators are more eager in their recreation and business pursuits respectively to explore these virgin territories. Bangladesh is one such country in South Asia which has a potential for attracting tourists in to-day's changed context. It has natural assets in having the unpolluted longest sea beaches in the world, the world's biggest mangrove forests and its beautiful coral islands. It also has centuries-old archaeological sites, some of which are counted as among the world's heritage by UNESCO. Costs of living are comparatively cheaper in Bangladesh for foreign tourists and they can also depend on reasonably comfortable accommodations . Depending on these plus points and many others, prospects are otherwise good for Bangladesh to flourish as a point of attraction for natural, recreational, historical and cultural tourism. Only the government and private sector need to get their act together and adopt and implement a comprehensive strategy to develop this sector. Government's developmental allocations need to be increased to set up more infrastructures such as roads, helipads, telecommunication networks and airports in tourist venues, having high potential. Relying on these, the private sector will then be enthused to set up various facilities in such areas to attract the tourists. Specially, resorts can be set up in our coastal islands to draw foreign tourists in much greater number. The number of the local tourists are also likely to much increase from such developmental and expansion activities in this sector. The spin-offs from tourism are multi-faceted. It creates direct and indirect employment in service industries and in the growth of ancilliary industries. The spending by foreign tourists can be a big booster for the country's foreign currency reserve. Considering these factors, the development of this sector merits serious attention. The government needs to direct its attention to give a spur to the development of tourism. This would be counted as a significant contribution made to the economy of the country. Abdour Rouf Agrabad, Chittagong