Expressing their happiness, tourism sector people urged the government to ensure proper utilisation of allocated tourism budget, which is more than double compared to the previous fiscal year’s budget.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has proposed Tk372 crore for the fiscal year 2015-16 compared to just Tk160 crore in fiscal year 2014-15.
Declaring 2016 as ‘Toursim Year’, the government plans to bring 10 lakh foreign tourists to boost the tourism sectors.
Bangladesh attracts an average five lakh foreign tourists every year. In 2013, only 16,000 foreign tourists came to the country and political turmoil was the reason behind the fall in tourists’ number.
The government gave Bangladesh Tourism Board 66 crore in 2011, but only 4-5 crore were spent and the rest of the amount were sent back to the Tourism Ministry.
Zamiul Ahmed Zamil, chairman, Tour Developer Association of Bangladesh (TDAB), said: “I will congratulate the government for allocating the huge amount of money to the tourism sector.”
Considering the previous record, the government should seriously monitor why the allocation is not used properly.
“We need proper utilisation of the money for the development of this sector.”
Md Masud Hossian, director of Tour operators Association of Bangladesh, termed the budget not enough for further promotion of tourism sector.
He stressed the continuation of budget that is more important than a sudden big allocation.
Mohosin Iqbal, CEO, Amazing Tours, told the Dhaka Tribune undoubtedly the budgetary allocation is satisfactory for the development of tourism sector.
If the government can complete its task according to its plan, tours operators and tourists must get a positive feedback from it.
