Tourism in Bangladesh
My attention was drawn to an op ed article by Mr. Farooque Hasan published in The Daily Star on 9/27/07. He mentioned that Bangladesh received only 200,000 foreign tourists compared to 1 million by Cambodia. In my opinion the actual number of 'real' tourists in Bangladesh in 2006 was far less. Anybody entering Bangladesh on a tourist visa is counted as a tourist. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these so called tourists are actually native born Bangladeshis holding foreign passports and visiting their relatives. Very few of them actually visit a tourist spot or spend money like a tourist when in Bangladesh. The inflated number of tourists only makes the Ministry of Tourism look good which has no economic impact on the country. I visit Bangladesh every two years on a tourist visa and I don't consider myself a tourist in the conventional sense. The million tourists received by Cambodia do not go there only to see the Ankor Wat. The vast majority of these tourists go to Cambodia for a reason that can't be discussed in a family newspaper. Bangladesh is better off without this type of tourists. A lot needs to be done to attract real tourists to come to Bangladesh. First and foremost is the image of the country. A country that was crowned as the most corrupt country for five years in a row does not help. Indiscriminate hartal and vandalism of public and private property is common in Bangladesh which scare tourists off. Fortunately, the CTG has started to clean up the mess left behind by the looters and plunderers. Good infrastructure, road network and personal safety are much more important than all the tourist sites combined. Then comes the hard part of selling Bangladesh as a tourist destination. Advertisement in world class Travel Magazines and sleek TV spots can be used to entice tourists to come to Bangladesh. Free tour packages can be donated to Travel Magazine Editors, Tour Organizers, and Travel Agents who will promote Bangladesh. Bangladesh has the largest white sandy beach in the world. Why not build Golf Courses up and down this beach along with top-notch hotels? Japanese golfers fly to Singapore to play golf and fly right back to Japan for less than what it would cost them to play golf in Japan. Bangladesh can provide the same experience for a lot less. For this to happen, the Cox's Bazar airport has to be developed into an international airport with direct flights from Singapore and Dubai. Nobody in their right mind will fly into Dhaka and take a connecting flight to Cox's Bazar. Family oriented tourism does not require western style night life. Most elderly tourists want a safe and clean hotel that will serve good foods. Eco-tourism in the Sundarbans, Chittagong Hill Tracts and Himchhari can be another avenue to explore. Again, the main emphasis should be on safety, security and a decent place to sleep and eat. Eco Tourists normally are not looking for a Five Star Hotel. Cottages made of renewable material such as bamboo will be attractive to this crowd. People who run Parjatan probably have never spent a day as a real tourist in a tourist friendly country. What is to be expected from this bunch of bureaucrats? Tourism is a tricky business.
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