Foreign tourist arrival low in Bangladesh due to lack of promotion: Experts

Lack of promotion is undercutting Bangladesh's bright tourism prospects and pushing the country behind others in attracting foreign tourists, said industry leaders and concerned government officials.

In a press conference held at a hotel in the capital on Tuesday to announce the start of the 10th Asian Tourism Fair and Bangladesh Tourism Development Summit 2023, Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh President Shiblul Azam Koreshi said, "The key obstacle to foreigners coming to visit this country is inadequate promotion as we have failed to uphold our tourist spots and iconic products before them."

The three-day Asian Tourism Fair will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital from 21 September. 

Another issue is the easy visa procurement process that warrants the issuance of e-visas. The country has on-arrival visa agreements with 61 countries, and yet foreigners have to wait two to four hours to get visas after reaching the capital's international airport, he said.

E-visas can reduce delays and thus are much needed along with one-stop service facilities, Koreshi added.

Every year nearly 30 lakh Bangladeshis are touring abroad and taking foreign currencies with them. These foreign currencies and the domestic tourists can be retained if the tourism sector is strengthened, Koreshi observed.

Manoj Kumar Roy, additional secretary at the Ministry of Civil Aviation ‍and Tourism, said he has visited Geneva but feels Bandarban is much more beautiful. The country has everything to attract foreigners, it only needs proper nurturing.

To this end, the government is in the final phase of rolling out a mega plan to expand and promote the country's tourism industry. About 53 areas in the country have been spotted as tourism clusters. Places like Cox's Bazar, Sundarban and Kuakata have been denominated as iconic clusters in the master plan.

He further said, "We have endorsed the Asian Tourism Fair and wish to make this a grand event. About 150 travel companies, including 50 from abroad, would participate in the fair. We wish that through this event Bangladesh will be projected as a tourist destination to the whole world." 

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Rahat Anwar said, to get a Smart Bangladesh, people have to become smart in every aspect. The country needs smart tourism, smart services and smart hospitality. Everyone should work with the government to meet these goals, he added.

Travel magazine Parjatan Bichitra with support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is organising the 10th Asian Tourism Fair. Travel companies from various countries including Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the UAE are expected to participate in the fair.

"Visitors can look forward to a plethora of enticing packages, discounts, and offers tailored to both business-to-business (B2B) enterprises and tourists," said Mohiuddin Helal, chairman of the Asian Tourism Fair organising committee and editor of Parjatan Bichitra. 

The fair would be open for visitors from 10am to 7pm every day. The entry fee is Tk30. However, students can enjoy free entry by registering online. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in raffle draws with the chance to win attractive prizes.