That is to say, turning our nation into an attractive tourist destination will require a lot of work.
The administration’s decision to invest in facilitating eco-friendly tourism in the Sundarbans stands to be an important initiative to that end. It is also, therefore, encouraging to know that 30% of the work towards the ongoing project to develop four new tourist spots has been completed, with officials hoping to complete it by the end of this year.
Even without promotion and an apparent lack of any concerted effort, there are currently seven tourist centres inside the forest where about 200,000 tourists travel annually, and the number is increasing every year.
It’s great to know that the new project also aims towards the socio-economic development of the local community to reduce their dependence on forest resources.
But as is well known, integrating a new system without disruption to the local life is notoriously difficult, and often for not lack of trying. In addition, there is also a genuine lack of resources which makes it even more difficult.
Preservation of the native way of life can help create a sustainable tourism industry in the area as well. The tourism authorities should take special initiatives to adopt best practices from leading tourism destinations in South Asia and elsewhere.
In the meantime, the new project, despite its small scale and investment, is a great step forward for taking Bangladesh’s tourism to the next level. But the government needs to listen to the stakeholders’ and its own tourism board’s recommendations seriously if the country hopes to attract tourists to any significant scale.
