Measures to be taken to attract foreign tourists: Faruk

Measures will be taken to attract more foreign tourists, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan said today.

"The number of local tourists has increased because of the improved living-standard of people of the country and now we have to try to attract more foreign tourists," he said while addressing officials of the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) in a meeting at the Parjatan Bhaban.

This was his maiden visit to the country's top two tourism-related statutory bodies after assuming office for the second term, said a press release.

Emphasising on implementing special airport service and creating specialist tour guides for foreign travellers, Faruk said, "Easy and prompt visa processing, expanding the on arrival visa criteria for foreign tourists will be fixed soon after consulting with the Home ministry."

Moreover, the minister called for applying innovative promotional techniques to inform foreign visitors about Bangladesh's tourism and leisure spots.

"Every official who is working in the leisure and tourism sector has to be a smart one in work and ideas to make Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as well as implementing the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's vision of Smart Bangladesh," he said.

Terming the country's private tourism industries as an important stakeholder of the sector, the minister ensures providing all types of assistance they require.

The minister also stressed for generating more revenue from all the BPC's establishments across the country.

Besides, he put emphasis on eco-tourism, adventure-tourism and culinary-tourism.

Civil aviation and tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain was also present, among others.