The visa system should be simplified for foreign tourists in Bangladesh, said State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali.
Mahbub was speaking at a seminar organized by Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital on Saturday.
“Today, Saudi Arabia is giving visas easily. They are discussing how to entertain tourists without a visa,” the state minister said.
"They (Saudi Arabia) are much more conservative than us," he said.
“We have come a long way since independence. So we have to come forward in this regard,” he added.
“We have enthusiasm. Now we need to attract tourists from abroad. We have new hotels. For this, a tax exemption facility is needed for investment. We need to be generous when it comes to visas,” he said.
The state minister said: “There is no shortage of tourists in the country. Now we need to attract foreign tourists."
Citing the example of different countries of the world, the state minister said: "We also feel that we need foreign tourists. Think about the appeal of our tourism corporation's motels that were built 50 years ago. Yet, we have managed them well and contributed crores in taxes to the government.”
Speakers at the program suggested an action plan considering the media as a stakeholder in the promotion and development of tourism in Bangladesh.
The media workers have also been advised to make a specific action plan for policymakers and businessmen in this sector to establish proper partnerships in tourism development.
On the other hand, the state minister urged the media workers to play a positive role.
ATJFB General Secretary Ziaul Haque Sabuj moderated the program.
ATJFB President Tanzim Anwar and Aviation Secretary Mokammel Hossain spoke at the program, among others.
