Satellite towns can promote tourism

Tourism is considered a major foreign exchange earning industry in all developing countries like Bangladesh. It is also considered the single largest industry in the developed world. Bangladesh is a land of natural beauty. Tourism is yet to make remarkable contribution to the socio-cultural life of the people of Bangladesh although it has the potentials to directly contributes to the economy of the country.
Foreign tourists' arrivals in Bangladesh and foreign currency earnings from the tourism sector need to  show steady growth. Development of infrastructure, including sea-beach facilities, hotel, motel facilities and transport facilities are needed for providing services to the tourists.
The government is planning to set up a new satellite town at the Patenga sea beach in Chittagong like Karachi and Dubai with modern hotels, motels and shopping facilities for the tourists. Satellite towns are smaller municipalities that are adjacent to a major city which is the core of a metropolitan area. They differ from mere suburbs and subdivisions in that they have municipal governments distinct from that of the core metropolis and employment bases sufficient to support their residential populations. Conceptually, satellite cities could be self-sufficient communities outside their larger metropolitan areas.
However, functioning as part of a metropolis, a satellite city experiences cross-commuting that is, residents commuting out of and tourists commuting into the city. It may involve consciously planned cities to act as spiller or dormitory towns. Several of the world's capital cities are planned ones, including Washington, D.C. in the United States, Canberra in Australia, Brasília in Brazil, Delhi in India etc.
In the present era, demographic pressure is becoming too high, especially in developing countries like ours. Our present demographic condition is unsteady and its influence has gone to residential areas in the cities showing huge scarcity of proper and planed urbanisation. Satellite towns will not only provide comfortable accommodation to the tourists but also to the residents to lead their lives with congenial surrounding environment.
Recently, urban planners and the government have thought about this vital issue and given more emphasis on how to control valuable urban land and ensure the cluster cities with all facilities. Many countries of the world are thinking about this concept especially whose population is too high. So, satellite town is a concept that can ensure the highest facilities in a planned way.
So, transforming Patenga into a satellite town will obviously ensure optimum use of land in the area. Planned urbanisation is considered as first priority area of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh to improve this situation. The development of environment and communication systems through construction of planned infrastructure in the city is considered second priority area of the government. Transforming some other cities as satellite towns will develop tourism infrastructures in Bangladesh. It will also provide facilities to undertake measures and carry out all kinds of activities connected with tourism, including acquiring, establishing, constructing, arranging, providing and running hotels, restaurants, rest houses, picnic spots, camping sites, theatres, amusement parks and facilities for water skiing and other entertainment.
It is also necessary to establish institutes for instruction and training of potential tourism personnel because from a developing country's perspective, tourism is important to Bangladesh as it is labour- intensive. It provides a wide range of different employment not only in the main centres but also in rural areas. It employs more women and young people than most other industries, creates opportunities for many small entrepreneurs and for development of a wide range of small and medium enterprises.
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