The government readies a recipe to celebrate a tourism carnival with an estimated big budget but insufficient preparation for expansion of the industry, causing experts to air doubt about the desired dividends.
Some of them even presume that much of the money being sought for funding the Tourism Year 2016 celebrations may go down the drain.
Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) has submitted 15 programmes to be executed with a budget of Tk 2.0 billion and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) has submitted a proposal with a budget of Tk 970 million for this selfsame purpose.
Industry-insiders say celebration of tourism year is a gigantic task requiring at least four to five years of preparation. The spadework includes product development, facelift, creating facilities, branding, marketing promotion and, finally, welcoming foreign tourists.
Without developing physical infrastructures and other tourist and recreation facilities only campaign and awareness would hardly attract backpackers or yield any positive result for overdue expansion of the potential sector.
On the contrary, the critics noted, the government authorities concerned are chalking out so many activities within a preparation time of seven months.
In the patchwork in haste, the primary tasks are getting ignored while the focus is being laid on promotional activities. Such preparation will ultimately be of little or no use in attracting foreign tourists.
Many expressed fears that the flaws in celebrating tourism year 2011, which was declared without any knowledge, would be repeated if the government does not act properly.
Journey Plus chief executive officer Taufiq Rahman told the FE that the tourism year should target promotion of in-bound tourism, nurturing the existing markets and breaking some new ground by developing tourism infrastructures and overcoming weaknesses in the sector.
"Online visa and visa-on-arrival arrangements should be the first priority," the chief executive of the tour operator said.
Bengal Tours Ltd executive director Masud Hossain said the preparation to celebrate tourism year should have been started three years back.
He identified some of the points of lacking: tourism product line is not ready, no branding of Bangladesh as a tourist destination, no step taken for rebuilding the country's image to foreign visitors, lack of accommodation, vehicles and other tourist facilities, shortage of tourist guides and skilled manpower to serve the backpackers.
On administrative part, e-visa and visa-on-arrival systems should be the first priority alongside inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation in staging such a mega-event.
The industry-insiders say that, by now, a national-level steering or working committee should have been formed to carry out the activities needed for celebration.
Tourism ministry, they think, is much ignored as it "literally has no guardian". At least 10 important ministries should be involved in the process.
In countries like Bangladesh the foreign ministry plays the most crucial part. At least 10 embassies and high commissions of Bangladesh in tourist markets should be allocated more budgets to prepare themselves for the 'Visit Bangladesh 2016' campaign by branding and creating festive mood.
They also suggested involvement of various embassies and high commissions in Dhaka, development partners and NGOs with image-building tasks to make the event a success.
Seeking anonymity, an in-bound tour operator said the government has been advancing in a much traditional way with its problem of lack of coordination and proper concept of what tourism year is.
"The government hardly understands that tourism year is meant for foreign tourists and that domestic tourists have nothing to do with it."
The airports and every mode of transport should be branded, creating a feeling like undertaking a visit to Bangladesh. This is absent now.
The air, water, rail and bus services should have quota and discount along with discounts and special offers by the hotel, motel, restaurant and resort operators for the foreign backpackers during the bash.
He said the authorities have no directives on what should be the tourism icon, what are the prime tourism products, which festivals should be highlighted for promotion.
Besides, the country should focus more on extended tourism so that foreign tourists that have not chosen Bangladesh as a final destination feel like taking a trip to this country when they come to India.
Talking to the FE, civil aviation and tourism secretary Khorshed Alam Chowdhury said tourism year is not necessarily meant for foreigners. The non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) are second-important target of the government, he added.
"We have a target to increase visitors by 15 per cent against that of 2012 as a base year and earn 25 per cent more revenue," he said.
About the perceived lack of preparation, he said Bangladesh has adequate preparation.
Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development executive director Ekram Razu said if the government wants to get involved in all the sectors, including health tourism, then it will not see success.
"The government must work on specific areas of tourism to make the tourism year successful."
The decision to announce 2016 as Tourism Year was taken at a National Tourism Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in March this year as part of a mega-plan for developing the tourism sector.
Earlier in 2011, Tk 780 million was sanctioned to celebrate tourism year. Of the total budget, Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) sent back Tk 630 million as unspent funds.
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