The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

To earn Tk 31,967.23 million from 17 lakh foreigners in tourism sector in the year 2021, the Bangladesh Parjaton Corporation has placed a consolidated development plan to the Ministry of Tourism.

The consolidated development plan, which was placed in December last, is yet to get government knock due to bureaucratic redtapism, according to BPC sources.

"The BPC will be able to earn Tk 5,641.28 million from three lakh foreign tourists in 2008, Tk 7,521.70 million from four lakh foreigners in 2009, Tk 9,402.13 million from five lakh foreigners in 2010, Tk 13,162.98 million from seven lakh tourists in 2011, Tk 16,923.83 million from nine lakh tourists in 2013, Tk 28,206.38 million from 15 lakh tourists in 2020 and Tk 31,967.23 lakh from 17 lakh foreign tourists in 2021," according to consolidated development plan of BPC.

"The government should implement 115 short term, long term and midterm projects to make the BPC dream possible," a high official of BPC said.

"We have placed the plan on the basis of increasing rate of foreign tourists in the country over the last couple of years," a high official of the BPC told the New Nation.

"If the government approves the plan, it will change the entire picture of the country's tourism sector," he said

The government is not taking any initiative to approve the mega plan due to its financial constrain, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

BPC has proposed to divide the whole Bangladesh into eight separate regions to expand the tourism sector of the country through its proposed plan. The regions are--greater Sylhet, greater Mymensingh, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar, Chittagong Hill Tract districts, Costal and Island, greater Rajshahi and the whole Northern region, greater Khulna and Sundarbans region and greater Dhaka region.

The tourism sector could not flourish as the government didn't prioritise the tourism in national plan, no allocation for the sector in the national budget, no strong statutory tourism development organisation in the country, low investment from private sector in tourism sector, image crisis of Bangladesh outside the country, complexity to get visa to visit the country, insecurity of the foreign visitors, poor quality of service in air route, shortage of skilled manpower, proper policy of maintenance and management of tourism attraction areas, the consolidated development plan found out for the failure of tourism sector in the country.

"We are now in the right track to expand the tourism sector as the Cox's Bazar, the longest sandy beach in the world and Sundarbans, the biggest mangrove forest are now securing first and second position of the seven natural wonders contest," another high official said, adding, "If the government approves the consolidated plan, BPC will be able to draw attention of the foreigners through its promotional activities."