The government has taken an initiative for the first time in the country’s tourism history to formulate a ‘tourism master plan’ in next two years for proper branding of Bangladesh in front of both local and foreign tourists.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali gave the information on Wednesday while addressing at a function marking the 12th anniversary of Tourism and Hospitality Management Department of Dhaka University (DU) at its campus in Dhaka.
“Our tourism products are yet to be branded for various reasons. Now time has come to brand those properly for further flourishing our untapped tourism sector,” he said.
The tourism master plan project has been awaiting to get final approval from the cabinet while the government allocated more than Taka 280.0 million to involve an international consultancy firm to formulate the plan.
Ali hoped that construction of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) third terminal, Metrorail and underground train will also provide international standard amenities to the foreign tourists along with the local city dwellers.
“The implementation of these mega projects will encourage tourists to visit Bangladesh,” he hoped.
The state minister said the government will provide assistance to turn a village adjacent to Bisnakandi, a new sensation for tourists, in Sylhet into a centre of Community Based Tourism (CBT) where foreign tourists can stay with the villagers to enjoy the virgin rural beauty of Bangladesh.
After the liberation war, Ali said Bangladesh had become well known to entire world as Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh, but the country failed to brand itself accordingly later on.
Presided over by Tourism and Hospitality Management Department Chairman Professor Dr Badaruzzaman Bhuiyan, the function was also attended, among others, by DU Business studies faculty Dean Prof Dr Shibli Rubayat-ul Islam, Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) CEO Dr Bhuban Chandra Biswas and Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) Director Taufique Rahman.
