Govt plans private investment push to develop tourism sector: Minister
The government is also planning to develop Cox's Bazar as a regional tourism hub.
The government has given special importance to tourism as part of its broader programmes for economic diversification, employment generation and balanced regional development, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister, M Rashiduzzaman Millat said today (17 September).
Speaking at the opening of the three-day 13th Asian Tourism Fair at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka, the minister said the government's new tourism policy would give special importance to private investment and public-private partnerships.
"Bangladesh is a country with diverse tourism potential. Over the past two decades, there has been a lack of desired and visible development initiatives in the tourism sector. We have started our journey from that reality," he said.
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The government is working on a tourism master plan covering around 1,498 tourism attractions and destinations across different categories, Millat said.
It is also planning to develop Cox's Bazar as a regional tourism hub, he said, citing the area's potential for expanding international-standard tourism infrastructure, services, entertainment and investment opportunities around the world's longest sandy sea beach.
The government aims to raise the tourism sector's contribution to 8–9% of the country's gross domestic product, Millat added.
The minister inaugurated the three-day fair, which is endorsed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and organised by Parjatan Bichitra. It will continue until 19 September and is open to visitors daily from 10am to 7pm.
More than 200 organisations from 10 countries, including Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Malaysia, China and Pakistan, are showcasing tourism products and services across around 300 booths.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director Kaiser Sohel Ahmed, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Samimuzzaman, and the ambassadors of Nepal, the Philippines, Maldives and Sri Lanka attended the inaugural ceremony.
