Today is World Tourism Day, and UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has set the theme in 2018 as “tourism and digital transformation.”
Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) and all other tourism stakeholders from the public and private sector are preparing for it, with Hungary selected as the host country for celebrating the day.
Nowadays, the digital revolution has allowed people and businesses to connect seamlessly, with businesses collecting data in order to better serve its customers. According to UNWTO, “the combination of digital platforms, user-generated content and feedback, social media integration, global positioning services, and the use of big data and artificial intelligence, has transformed the way people experience, consume, and share information.”
The current landscape of industry is steeped in digital activity, and artificial intelligence is fast replacing humans in a variety of jobs and job fields. Therefore, there is immediate need to prepare for a new kind of work environment, and jobs, which are expected to be technology-first in nature.
However, as the use of technology in travel skyrockets, the damage caused by fraudulent behaviour also increases. Among these nefarious activities are domain-squatting, credit card skimming, fake websites looking to mine data, online ticket scams, email phishing, identity theft, and so on.
Promoting Bangladesh
In a recent seminar organized by BPC, many participants disagreed with the present branding of Bangladesh as “Beautiful Bangladesh,” a term conceived a few years ago. Speakers said that the country’s branding should trigger three things -- tourism, foreign investment, and promoting a positive image of the country.
From its inception, BPC has been an autonomous organization, and has never received direct revenue for the promotion and branding of tourism in Bangladesh. Despite the minimal budget, BPC has been publishing promotional material, both print and video -- and these are being used by the military, civil organizations, and the general population to promote Bangladesh overseas.
Domestic tourism is the key to develop tourism in the context of infrastructure, tourist influx, communication, food and accommodation, and other tourism production and services. There was a significant increase in domestic tourists between 2016 and 2017, and BPC led this revolution of boosting domestic tourism in Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, there is plenty of negativity that is passed by organizations and tour operators, and this aggravates the image the country has in regards to its security -- brochures with pictures showing people riding on the hood of buses, train-tops, and ship decks don’t help. Rickshaws, the symbol of Bangladesh, depict a slight backwardness to the country.
International media also has a tendency to cover Bangladesh negatively when there is a movement taking place, highlighting the faults of the country -- seldom do we see Bangladesh being depicted as a beautiful country, or the extreme hospitality and respect its denizens show foreigners in general.
Structural development of tourism
Within a few years, 30 new economic zones are going to be in operation along with special tourist zones (STZ). Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation has handed over 1,200 acres of land to Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) for developing a world class special tourist zone.
A Thailand-based company will invest Tk40 crore to develop an international tourism centre on 2,500 acres in the Naaf river between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Renovating Cox’s Bazar airport into a quality international airport is already underway. However, rail and road connectivity are yet to meet the international standard -- though the government is working to bring them up to the mark.
A case for an independent ministry
There is a dire need for a government institution to maintain the standards of tourism products and services. Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation can be converted as an authority for tourism as it already has a country wide structure, and standards can be maintained through licensing.
Some of the areas that need to be addressed are as follows.
• Food hygiene standard for restaurants, food courts, street food vendors, and all types of food catering companies
• Mushrooming tour operators in Dhaka, Khulna, Cox’s Bazar, Hill tracts, Sylhet and Kuakata need to be regularized to offer quality service to the tourists
• Ensuring safe movement through air, land, sea, and rivers is urgent to get the attention of international tourists
• Addressing the lack of entertainment options for mainstream tourists
• Addressing the safety and hygiene of local bars, which is currently not suitable for international tourists
The Ministry of Tourism is more engaged with aviation affairs than tourism. Therefore, there is a severe urgency now to create an independent ministry for tourism in Bangladesh, one that actually looks to better the tourism of the country.
Sheikh Mehdi Hasan is a Deputy Manager (Marketing) at Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation
