Tour operators of the country foresee a rather bleak 2014 as they express doubt over regaining the country's image lost mainly due to political chaos over the last eight months of 2013 compelling hundreds of foreign tourists to cancel bookings for visiting Bangladesh.
Tour operators usually count July-June as their business year while September-April is the peak season for tourism business. During this season the expected growth target in tourist arrival will not be achieved even in 2014 as Bangladesh has lost almost 60 per cent of the potential leisure tourists in 2013.
"During the peak season in 2013 which fell in September-December period, I could do only 25 per cent business compared to that of last year. More than half of 30 tourist groups have cancelled their bookings given one year ago until April 2014," PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Bangladesh Chapter Secretary General Taufiq Rahman told the FE recently.
He added: the scenario of the domestic tourist turnout was even worse.
He said although a new government has been formed, foreign tourists are yet to regain confidence over the stability of the country's political situation. Many potential tourists even ask for official declaration from the top leaders of the country's ruling and opposition parties ensuring peaceful and secured environment and non-violent movement.
"I am very much doubtful about recovering the country's image even in 2014 which is chaotic. To me 2014 will not be a good year for tourism business," he added.
Tour operators said unless the government takes massive promotional programmes on rebuilding the country's damaged image in 2014, the sector will further be hit in the coming years.
In 2013, hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists (leisure tourists and visiting friends and families) cancelled their bookings up to April of this year on security grounds during the violent political programmes enforced by the opposition parties mainly since May. A number of foreign missions announced red alert for their citizens to refrain from visiting Bangladesh declaring the country a 'highly risky' one which further worsened the situation.
They even cautioned their officials staying here to avoid unnecessary movement and crowd during any political programme like strike or blockade.
All these actions by various countries, individual information sources and bad reputation in global media put the country's tourism sector in an unprecedented dismal position.
General Manager of Galaxy Holidays G Qadir said the world has got a negative message about Bangladesh over the past year which has created security concerns among the tourists.
"Security was never a big matter for us as there were no anti-tourist activities in Bangladesh. But in 2013, even tourist vehicles were not spared from attack during political programmes," he said.
Mr Qadir sought immediate steps from the government and the opposition to regain confidence of the tourists. He also emphasised promotional activities by the government in collaboration with the foreign missions, lowering the value added tax (VAT) from the hospitality and tourism sector and prices of tour packages by the tour operators to attract tourists.
River and Green Tours chief executive officer Mohiuddin Helal said the sustainability of tour companies is at stake due to the dull business in 2013. About two-thirds of the employees of many hotels, motels and tour operators were curtailed in 2013.
"I think the image crisis created in 2013 will affect the business of 2014 because foreign tourists usually give bookings one year before," he said.
Mr Helal expressed doubt about the expected growth in tourist arrivals, saying: "In the present context Bangladesh will hardly be able to achieve any growth unless the government takes up massive branding programmes."
When asked for his comment, Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) chief executive officer Akhtaruzzaman Khan Kabir told the FE that the overall programme for the development of tourism sector could not be implemented due to the prevailing political situation in 2013.
"We have deferred our programmes which we will launch soon. We have already decided to send formal letters to various missions of Bangladesh around the world about the stable political situation here requesting them to send tourists," he said.
Besides, BTB will work together with foreign missions here to rebuild the country's image through them and promote the tourism sector while announcing a media fellowship to sensitise media and people in general about tourism.
