Anisul Islam Noor :
About 3.5 lakh people went abroad to celebrate Eid vacation this year mainly due to long holiday and the dearth of sufficient recreation spots within the country, according to tour operators.
A leader of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) said, “The upper middle class people, even the middle class, prefer celebrating this occasion somewhere outside the country.”
Such celebration has become a common entertainment now as the local recreation management has failed to attract them, he pointed out.
In the last 10 years, the number of people who celebrate Eid abroad has increased nearly five times while the number of tourists coming to the country decreased, sources said.
Although the number of trips is increasing in the country, TOAB insists on effective policy and plan to attract tourists here. Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka,Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India are some of the destinations for Bangladeshi holidaymakers.
Rafiqul Islam Dipu, an apparel businessman who has business connetion with India, said, “there are several recreation spots in India, so I choose the neighbouring country to celebrate my Eid holiday.”
Tamanna Khan works in a private organization, She celebrates Eid outside the country. She has gone to Singapore along with mother and father for checkup this Eid.
Owner of a travel agency, Humayun Kabir, said, “This time people in small numbers have gone out of the country. Two or three years ago, tickets from Singapore, Thailand were sold out a month before Eid. This situation has changed.
Tawfiq Uddin Ahmed, the President of TOAB, said, “Around 20 – 25 lakh people travel foreign countries every year. The longest holiday in the Eid is chosen by these people for foreign trips. Some airlines of the country jointly share package tours with some foreign hotels also.”
Every day six thousand people get visas from India which means 15 lakh people go to India a year, Tawfiq said.
He said in many cases travelling Kolkata is lesser expensive than Cox’s Bazar. So when it comes to travelling outside the country, India comes first.
The TOAB chief said, “The 2016-17 was announced as the Tourist Year. But we could not do all the plans that need to be taken and implemented.”
“Our advertisement photography could not attract foreigners to visit Bangladesh,” he pointed out.
Chairman of Tourism Developers Association of Bangladesh Mohammad Jamiul Ahmed said, “Every year 25 lakh people travel outside the country, but lakh 5/6 thousand come from abroad.”
“We have to focus on this aspect. Our sights will make it more interesting, so sights should be made live remembering that a tourist runs for 16 to24 hours,” he said.
Rashedul Hasan, a professor of Tourism and Hospitality Department at the University of Dhaka, told The New Nation that it is true that Bangladesh is not able to attract foreign tourists. It is the responsibility of the government to do this by formulating a proper policy.
He laid emphasis on improving world class indoor and outdoor game vanue to lure foreign tourists.
About 3.5 lakh people went abroad to celebrate Eid vacation this year mainly due to long holiday and the dearth of sufficient recreation spots within the country, according to tour operators.
A leader of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) said, “The upper middle class people, even the middle class, prefer celebrating this occasion somewhere outside the country.”
Such celebration has become a common entertainment now as the local recreation management has failed to attract them, he pointed out.
In the last 10 years, the number of people who celebrate Eid abroad has increased nearly five times while the number of tourists coming to the country decreased, sources said.
Although the number of trips is increasing in the country, TOAB insists on effective policy and plan to attract tourists here. Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka,Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India are some of the destinations for Bangladeshi holidaymakers.
Rafiqul Islam Dipu, an apparel businessman who has business connetion with India, said, “there are several recreation spots in India, so I choose the neighbouring country to celebrate my Eid holiday.”
Tamanna Khan works in a private organization, She celebrates Eid outside the country. She has gone to Singapore along with mother and father for checkup this Eid.
Owner of a travel agency, Humayun Kabir, said, “This time people in small numbers have gone out of the country. Two or three years ago, tickets from Singapore, Thailand were sold out a month before Eid. This situation has changed.
Tawfiq Uddin Ahmed, the President of TOAB, said, “Around 20 – 25 lakh people travel foreign countries every year. The longest holiday in the Eid is chosen by these people for foreign trips. Some airlines of the country jointly share package tours with some foreign hotels also.”
Every day six thousand people get visas from India which means 15 lakh people go to India a year, Tawfiq said.
He said in many cases travelling Kolkata is lesser expensive than Cox’s Bazar. So when it comes to travelling outside the country, India comes first.
The TOAB chief said, “The 2016-17 was announced as the Tourist Year. But we could not do all the plans that need to be taken and implemented.”
“Our advertisement photography could not attract foreigners to visit Bangladesh,” he pointed out.
Chairman of Tourism Developers Association of Bangladesh Mohammad Jamiul Ahmed said, “Every year 25 lakh people travel outside the country, but lakh 5/6 thousand come from abroad.”
“We have to focus on this aspect. Our sights will make it more interesting, so sights should be made live remembering that a tourist runs for 16 to24 hours,” he said.
Rashedul Hasan, a professor of Tourism and Hospitality Department at the University of Dhaka, told The New Nation that it is true that Bangladesh is not able to attract foreign tourists. It is the responsibility of the government to do this by formulating a proper policy.
He laid emphasis on improving world class indoor and outdoor game vanue to lure foreign tourists.
