The telecast of short promotional documentaries on small countries by a few overseas TV channels may have surprised many viewers. The programmes highlight the attractive features which distinguish these countries. A couple of them are widely known for other reasons like their violent past and widespread poverty. But the programmes remain focused on their positive aspects like natural beauty, their people and socio-economic conditions, culture and their prospects. The programmes are quite popular with compulsive globe trotters. That these minutes-long country-specific programmes, mostly on developing and least developed countries, can play a great role in attracting international tourists is implied. Being a country with a long history, future prospects, and its natural beauty, Bangladesh, many think, could have already been among these tourist destinations. Foreign tourists have tentatively resumed arriving in Bangladesh, which is now corona pandemic-free informally. Instead of turning to the overseas tourists trickling into the country, the tour authorities are found busy coping with the domestic tourists --- at least for now.
There are, however, cogent reasons for turning to the domestic tourists. These tourists were seen swarming the country's popular spots for three days last week. The days comprised a special holiday and a two-day weekend. Many stayed back and thronged the traditional tourist spots. Experts are unanimous about the fact that the major tourist spots of the country have started regaining their normal hubbub after a long spell of the corona pandemic. Although the country has yet to be officially declared corona-free, the tour enthusiasts have been visiting the country's popular tourist attractions for the last two years. The rush of sightseers, like before, remains concentrated on the popular and conventional spots. They include the Cox's Bazar and Kuakata beaches, the Sundarbans, the Moulvibazar sites in the greater Sylhet and the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT). A carnival-type three-day festivity spread throughout the well known tourist spots in the country was seen during the three-day holiday. Normally, these crowds of people visit the conventional spots of the sea beaches, the CHT ranges, the pebble-filled streams in the greater Sylhet and other frequently visited spots.
The latest spate of tours became distinguished thanks to the three-day holiday like normally seen during the two Eids. These crowds of tourists comprise all social classes, from the fabulously rich to the fixed-income middle-class people. In these crowds of tourists, isolated sections of foreign tourists could be seen earlier. Prior to the pandemic, foreign tourists could be seen loitering on different hilly spots and the two beaches. With the Covid fear almost gone, many expected them on the tourist spots. But the overseas guests were conspicuous by their stark absence. Their number was far below that witnessed years ago, during the corona-free and favourable times.
A few Bangladeshi tourism experts and persons associated with the sector have recently expressed their views on wooing foreign tourists to Bangladesh. They have expressed their views apparently in the context of the present state of tourism in Bangladesh. It's worth mentioning that the World Tourism Day 2023 was observed on September 27. The message of the day this year was 'environment-friendly investment'. As a special feature of the day's observance, tourism experts of the country have laid emphasis on bringing back the foreign tourists who would be interested to visit Bangladesh, though in small number in the present times. Wooing the overseas tourists back to this country may prove daunting. Apart from the disorderly tour facilities, including lack of recreation outlets and hackneyed sight-seeing tours, the foreign tourists may find themselves still confined to a handful of time-out activities. Moreover, in the post-pandemic period, and also in the normal times, the thin arrival of overseas tourists presents Bangladesh as a tour-averse destination. Here the same old drawbacks come up invariably. They are dominated by the poor infrastructure in almost all tiers of days-long tours, complicated visa procedures and absence of professional tour guides. When it comes to the promotion of the country as a tourist destination, the relevant authorities appear to be lacking innovation and professionalism.
As has been seen in the current trend of overseas visitors' arrival, it has yet to reach the level that prevailed a decade ago. It shows that the Covid scare and the crisis prompted by it still overshadows the tourism sector. In a report released by a Germany-based online platform, Statista, and quoted by FE, it has been said that Bangladesh is expected to receive 0.21 million foreign tourists this calendar year --- 2023, slightly up from 0.2 million in the previous year. According to its estimate, Bangladesh received 0.32 million tourists in 2019, which dropped sharply to 60,000 in 2020, and stayed at 1,17,000 in the year of 2021. As seen with the domestic tourists, the overseas travellers should be encouraged to feel free to move anywhere in the vast tour areas. But it ought to be ensured that they are well protected, and the security measures foolproof. Unlike the local ones, many of the foreign tourists opt for moving in twos and threes or in small groups.
Thanks to the untapped potential of Bangladesh tourism, it still remains largely underutilised. In spite of grand promises to make the country a lucrative tourist destination, the attractions are actually seen limited to a few recreational activities. There is a highly despairing aspect vis-à-vis the overseas tourists visiting Bangladesh. Of the fast increasing tourists, the foreigners comprise mere 3 to 5 per cent. Besides, the contribution of overall tourism to the country's GDP stands at mere 4.4 per cent.
shihabskr@ymail.com
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