Tourism Board limps amid manpower shortage, poor budget

Highlights:

• Tourism Board had Tk7.5cr in FY25 for marketing and promotion
• Experts deem this budget woefully inadequate 
• Current manpower 52, among which 9 outsourced
• Appointment of 122 new manpower await finance ministry nod

Fifteen years after its establishment, the Bangladesh Tourism Board continues to face significant challenges, including limited capacity and severe budgetary constraints, hindering its aspirations to position Bangladesh as a leading tourist destination in South Asia.

Established in 2010 with the mandate to enhance tourism products through effective promotion and marketing, the Bangladesh Tourism Board is widely perceived by experts as having achieved little due to chronic under-resourcing. The national tourism organisation currently operates with a lean team of just 43 permanent staff and nine outsourced employees. 

For the fiscal year 2024-25, the board was allocated a mere Tk7.5 crore for international branding and promotional activities. Tourism experts deem this budget woefully inadequate. 

"It's impossible to build a global presence with such a small budget, especially when international media campaigns cost millions," Dr Md Anowar Hossain Bhuiyan, associate professor of Tourism and Hospitality at National University, told The Business Standard.

"We have no funding for tourism research or publications, while our competitors invest heavily in these areas. Publishing in reputed journals plays a critical role in building a country's image. The Bangladesh Tourism Board can and should facilitate such initiatives," he added. 

He further stressed that three key measures are essential for strengthening the board's capacity: increasing manpower, enhancing budget allocation, and fostering strong inter-ministerial coordination.

Lagging behind regional competitors

Despite its untapped tourism potential, Bangladesh has yet to emerge as a popular destination compared to its South Asian neighbours. 

In 2023, the country received 6.5 lakh foreign passport holders – the highest number since the Bangladesh Tourism Board began collecting data in 2010. In contrast, the Maldives and Sri Lanka welcomed approximately 1.8 million and 1.5 million international tourists, respectively, during the same period.

Industry insiders attribute this disparity to poor branding, inadequate infrastructure, visa complications, limited entertainment options, high travel costs, and social restrictions.

"If we want to promote Bangladesh on global platforms like CNN, BBC, or Al Jazeera, it comes at a high cost. For example, running a 15-second ad every 80 seconds on Dubai Airport billboards for a month costs around $100,000," said Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board.

"Although that's a huge amount, countries like Sri Lanka that are serious about attracting tourists are investing such sums," he added.

The Bangladesh Tourism Board has a total budget of Tk33 crore for FY25. Of this, around Tk10 crore is earmarked for local promotional events such as Taste of Bangladesh, Harmony Fest, and participation in international tourism fairs.

However, Tk4 crore meant for infrastructure development has remained frozen for the past two years due to cost-cutting measures by the Finance Division.

Domestic focus amid global challenges

Highlighting persistent barriers to attracting international tourists, Zaber said, "Many countries still maintain travel alerts for Bangladesh. Travel costs here are also comparatively higher. A tourist can often stay in Bangkok for the same amount it costs to stay in Cox's Bazar."

He attributed this to high interest rates and import taxes. "While many countries have bank interest rates of 2-3%, ours are 12-13%. Star-rated hotels must import much of their inventory, incurring high taxes in the process."

In response, the Bangladesh Tourism Board is now focusing more on developing domestic tourism. "If domestic tourism thrives, it will eventually attract foreign tourists as well. We're working on identifying and developing new destinations," he said.

Expansion plan

Currently operating from its head office in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Tourism Board has plans to decentralise by opening six divisional offices and six district-level offices. 

These divisional offices will be located in all divisions except Dhaka and Mymensingh, while district offices will be set up in Moulvibazar, Patuakhali, Bagerhat, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, and Rangamati.

Zaber also shared updates on human resource expansion: "The public administration ministry has approved 122 new posts, and the proposal is now with the finance ministry. The final number will depend on their clearance."

He added, "When I assign five different tasks to one officer, the quality of work inevitably drops. Once the new staff are in place, our operations will become much more efficient."