Experts on Sunday said that domestic tourism would play a key role in salvaging the sector from the economic fallout of Covid-19 in the next three years.
They also stressed on village tourism, which would also be pivotal in making the turnaround.
The recommendations were made at a webinar to mark World Tourism Day 2020, titled "Tourism for Rural Development", which was organized by the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation (BPC),
"We cannot offer quality facilities to foreign tourists due to poor infrastructure,. To boost this sector, both local and international investment is imperative," said Md Ziaul Haque Howlader, PR manager at BPC.
He also shared some of the illages where the BPC was working to develop as tourists spots, including Khalijuri and Susong Durgapur upazilas in Netrakona, Kazipur in Sirajganj, Gajni in Sherpur and Comilla.
“The strengths of rural tourism are natural resources, cultural resources and archaeological sites. Through rural tourism, local people of the prime attractions in the country find jobs in various forms like handicraft producers, sellers, cooks, waiters, tour guides, ushers, vendors, etc,” he added.
Moniruzzaman Masum, director at the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), emphasized domestic tourism to recover from the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It will play a pivotal role for the next three years. In this case villages are the key to future tourism,” he added.
Other panelists of the program also mentioned some of the weaknesses and challenges in the sector, including environment pollution, ill planning, lack of quality tourism, absence of skilled manpower and lack of promotion/marketing.
They also urged the government to reopen St Martin's Island and Maheskhali to sustain the tourist operators, hotels and motels over there.
Ram Chandra Das, BPC chairman, urged everyone to let go of blaming each other and work together for a united goal of elevating the country's tourism sector.
“We need an experienced board. When the new law will be passed there will be no problems like now,” he remarked.
“Nowadays, we see a tendency to visit new places among the tourists like in Haor areas. This creates new possibility of establishing new tourist spots in future. But many tourists are also responsible for littering over there. Everyone should avoid such practices," he added.
