Untapped potentials from tourism
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Shimul Biswas
THE appeal of Bangladesh among foreign tourists appears to be rising. This should be consolidated by forward moving policies. According to a recent media report, the number of foreign tourists to Bangladesh nearly doubled in 2008 compared to the previous year. The number was 0.2 million in 2007 and 0.4 million in 2008. The Bangladesh Tourism Corporation (BPC) earned Tk 2.45 billion from tourism in 1999 and Tk 6.12 billion in 2008.
The trend is not likely to taper off in the coming years. The Switzerland-based contest to select the seven new natural wonders of the world has created a new interest among the foreign tourists about Bangladesh. The Cox's Bazar beach and the Sunderbans were earlier in the bid to be selected as two of the world's great natural wonders. Lately, both were reported to be included among the 28 natural wonders of the world by the organisation. This has already received worldwide media focus. The interest in Bangladesh among the foreign tourists may further increase after the formal and final election of the wonders.
The government should make bigger allocations of fund for the development of the tourism sector and build supporting infrastructures like access roads, utility services, etc., in areas which have great tourism prospects. Kuakata, Inani, Teknaf, Moheshkhali island, Sonadia island and St Martin's island should get special attention.
With the government making investments to improve access and other facilities in these areas, the private sector, including foreign private investors, are likely to show much greater interest in investing in tourism-related projects in these areas.
THE appeal of Bangladesh among foreign tourists appears to be rising. This should be consolidated by forward moving policies. According to a recent media report, the number of foreign tourists to Bangladesh nearly doubled in 2008 compared to the previous year. The number was 0.2 million in 2007 and 0.4 million in 2008. The Bangladesh Tourism Corporation (BPC) earned Tk 2.45 billion from tourism in 1999 and Tk 6.12 billion in 2008.
The trend is not likely to taper off in the coming years. The Switzerland-based contest to select the seven new natural wonders of the world has created a new interest among the foreign tourists about Bangladesh. The Cox's Bazar beach and the Sunderbans were earlier in the bid to be selected as two of the world's great natural wonders. Lately, both were reported to be included among the 28 natural wonders of the world by the organisation. This has already received worldwide media focus. The interest in Bangladesh among the foreign tourists may further increase after the formal and final election of the wonders.
The government should make bigger allocations of fund for the development of the tourism sector and build supporting infrastructures like access roads, utility services, etc., in areas which have great tourism prospects. Kuakata, Inani, Teknaf, Moheshkhali island, Sonadia island and St Martin's island should get special attention.
With the government making investments to improve access and other facilities in these areas, the private sector, including foreign private investors, are likely to show much greater interest in investing in tourism-related projects in these areas.