State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali on Monday said the government is committed to ensure safety and security for both the international and local tourists across the country.
“The Government of Bangladesh is committed to ensure safety and security for all kind of tourists,” he said while addressing at the concluding session of a familiarization tour of foreign journalists in Bangladesh at Hotel Inter Continental here.
Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) organized the familiarization trip under that 26 journalists, travel writers and tour operators from 10 countries visiting different attractive tourist spots of Bangladesh in last 10 days.
The journalists and travel writers are from the USA, the UK, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Lebanon, China, South Korea and Japan.
The State Minister urged the visiting foreign journalists to promote Bangladesh tourism by writing on their respective newspapers, magazines and television channels upon returning their own countries.
“I believe, you are mesmerized with your experience of last ten days and this familiarization tour will help us to promote Bangladesh as the popular tourist destination of the world,” he said.
He said Bangladesh landscape with lush green field, seashore with long beach, hills with scenic beauty, forests with flora and fauna, heritage and archeological sites; hundreds of years of long practice of norms and values, unique culture and heritage of our ethnic group and hospitable people can attract any tourists of the world.
Mahbub said the present government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasized tourism as a prioritized sector for the country to enter the global competitive arena.
“We are encouraging private sector to come up with new and innovative ideas for the investment as well as create employment opportunities through tourism business,” he said
The state minister said establishment of Exclusive Tourist Zone at Sabrang in Cox’s Bazar on 1028 acre of land is in under process to attract international tourists. Foreign investors have also been invited to develop this Exclusive Tourist Zone, he added.
Mahbub said the journey of water-transport between Bangladesh and India has started while ocean cruise tourism added in the country’s tourism industry.
Recently Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan have signed ‘Motor Vehicle Agreement’ to expedite tourism among the SARCC countries, he added.
In sharing their experience of the visit, the foreign journalists said Bangladesh has immense potentials to sell its tourism to international travelers.
Terming smiling people of Bangladesh and their unique nature of hospitality is the asset of the country’s tourism; they suggested taking massive international branding to attract more foreign tourists here.
The visiting foreign journalists expressed their mesmerizing experience of joining celebration of Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year, in Dhaka especially the colourful parade of ‘Mangol Shovajatra”.
Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Akhtaruzaman Khan Kabir and BTB CEO Dr Bhuban Chandra Biswas also spoke on the occasion.
