Finance Minister AMA Muhith, in his proposed budget for the next fiscal, has laid out an extensive plan to boost the country’s tourism sector and turn it into a significant revenue earner.
According to the budget document placed by the minister on Thursday, the government is planning to declare 2016 as tourism year and launch an international campaign called “Visit Bangladesh Campaign 2016.”
“We have already started our preparations to observe 2016 as tourism year,” Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told the Dhaka Tribune.
He, however, said they needed to declare “special zones” for the tourists to develop the sector.
On Thursday, Muhith also said: “Steps have been taken to develop exclusive tourist zones under the PPP [public private partnership] initiative.”
The budget document also read that the Tourism Ministry and the Tourism Board needed to develop products, as well as launch awareness campaigns, integrated advertising and public relation campaigns. The ministry also has plans to establish a “One Stop Service Centre” for foreign tourists next year, the document also reads.
On the other hand, as part of a long term plan, the government plans to allocate Tk45 crore for setting up a specialised television channel by June 2021 to develop the tourism sector.
From July, the government will also start finalising its extensive plan for the sector – which is expected to end by June 2016 – with the help of Tk10 crore in allocations, according to the budget document.
Other proposed allocations by Muhith included a Tk5.2 crore allocation to set up a 150-seat floating restaurant on Hatirjheel lake and a souvenir shop; Tk97.5 crore to establish tourist trains in different routes like Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Rajshahi; and Tk90 crore to establish five modern tourist marine vessels to attract foreign visitors.
The government also has other midterm and long-term plans that include modernising the airports.
In his speech, the finance minister also said Cox’s Bazar airport will be upgraded to an international airport within a short time, while a second runway will also soon be constructed for Shahjalal International Airport.
The arrival of global tourists in Bangladesh fell by 8% to 5.5 lakh in 2013, compared to 5.94 lakh in the previous year, according to Bangladesh Bank.
However, ministry officials expressed hopes that the number will double within a couple of years once the initiatives are taken.