UNB, Dhaka :
A master plan on tourism is being prepared to ensure a planned development of the country’s existing and prospective tourist spots, aiming to attract a greater number of foreign tourists to Bangladesh.
This was disclosed at the third meeting of the Bangladesh Tourism Council held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Council Chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri said the tourism master plan was approved at the 25th meeting of the Governing Body of the Bangladesh Tourism Board held on December 18, 2014.
He said ‘Visit Bangladesh Year 2016’ will be observed in the country next year, aiming to expedite the development and flourish of the country’s tourism industry, and necessary steps have been taken to this end.
He said some TK 200 crore would be spent in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 years for implementing necessary programmes to this end.
Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said there is a huge scope for attracting foreign tourists to Bangladesh to a large extent if the country’s existing tourist spots are made attractive.
She said not only the sea beaches, measures should be there to attract tourists to river ways through arranging river cruises alongside utilising the old heritage, establishments, relics, tea gardens and scenic areas in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Stressing the importance of creating tourism awareness among the country’s people, the Prime Minister said domestic tourism should have to be enhanced to attract more foreign tourists.
Noting that Bangladesh’s geographical location is very much favourable for tourism, Hasina said Cox’s Bazar should be built as a planned tourist spot since it is a tourism town.
In this connection, she said a marine drive would be built in the area while the Kuakata should be developed as a proper tourists spot since the tourists there have a very rare opportunity to see both the sunrise and sunset.
Citing scope for package tourism with Nepal and Bhutan, the Prime Minister said those who come to see the Himalayas from abroad could also come to Bangladesh to see the sea beach while winding up their tours.
She said that the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India could be linked in operating ocean cruises in the region.
The Prime Minister said her government has a plan to set up an exclusive zone in Cox’s Bazar for the foreign tourists and for this communication system should have to be improved.
She said the government also has a plan to construct a marine drive from Mirsarai-Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf alongside ensuring bay watch, hill watch, Eco-tourism and Safari park.
Hasina said the world’s largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans should be brought under the Eco-system and it should be portrayed more attractively before the local and foreign tourists.
The meeting decided that a master plan would be formulated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to make the areas adjacent to the Mazar of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj as an attractive tourist spot without harming the natural beauty of that rural area.
The meeting was also discussed connecting Bangladesh to international river cruise in the Asia-pacific region as currently a river cruise is being operated from Chennai of India through Andaman, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia and thus ending up in Singapore.
She said if Bangladesh is connected to that cruise through signing of protocols with India and some other countries, then this Asia Pacific Ocean Cruise could be operated connecting Kolkata and Bangladesh.
PM’s Press Secretary said the meeting also discussed simplifying on-arrival visa, introducing long-term multiple visa and e-visa for making the country’s tourism sector more attractive.
The meeting also discussed launching tourism circuits in the country centering various archeological and traditional religious establishments.
National tourism council members, including ministers and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.
A master plan on tourism is being prepared to ensure a planned development of the country’s existing and prospective tourist spots, aiming to attract a greater number of foreign tourists to Bangladesh.
This was disclosed at the third meeting of the Bangladesh Tourism Council held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Council Chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri said the tourism master plan was approved at the 25th meeting of the Governing Body of the Bangladesh Tourism Board held on December 18, 2014.
He said ‘Visit Bangladesh Year 2016’ will be observed in the country next year, aiming to expedite the development and flourish of the country’s tourism industry, and necessary steps have been taken to this end.
He said some TK 200 crore would be spent in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 years for implementing necessary programmes to this end.
Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said there is a huge scope for attracting foreign tourists to Bangladesh to a large extent if the country’s existing tourist spots are made attractive.
She said not only the sea beaches, measures should be there to attract tourists to river ways through arranging river cruises alongside utilising the old heritage, establishments, relics, tea gardens and scenic areas in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Stressing the importance of creating tourism awareness among the country’s people, the Prime Minister said domestic tourism should have to be enhanced to attract more foreign tourists.
Noting that Bangladesh’s geographical location is very much favourable for tourism, Hasina said Cox’s Bazar should be built as a planned tourist spot since it is a tourism town.
In this connection, she said a marine drive would be built in the area while the Kuakata should be developed as a proper tourists spot since the tourists there have a very rare opportunity to see both the sunrise and sunset.
Citing scope for package tourism with Nepal and Bhutan, the Prime Minister said those who come to see the Himalayas from abroad could also come to Bangladesh to see the sea beach while winding up their tours.
She said that the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India could be linked in operating ocean cruises in the region.
The Prime Minister said her government has a plan to set up an exclusive zone in Cox’s Bazar for the foreign tourists and for this communication system should have to be improved.
She said the government also has a plan to construct a marine drive from Mirsarai-Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf alongside ensuring bay watch, hill watch, Eco-tourism and Safari park.
Hasina said the world’s largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans should be brought under the Eco-system and it should be portrayed more attractively before the local and foreign tourists.
The meeting decided that a master plan would be formulated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to make the areas adjacent to the Mazar of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj as an attractive tourist spot without harming the natural beauty of that rural area.
The meeting was also discussed connecting Bangladesh to international river cruise in the Asia-pacific region as currently a river cruise is being operated from Chennai of India through Andaman, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia and thus ending up in Singapore.
She said if Bangladesh is connected to that cruise through signing of protocols with India and some other countries, then this Asia Pacific Ocean Cruise could be operated connecting Kolkata and Bangladesh.
PM’s Press Secretary said the meeting also discussed simplifying on-arrival visa, introducing long-term multiple visa and e-visa for making the country’s tourism sector more attractive.
The meeting also discussed launching tourism circuits in the country centering various archeological and traditional religious establishments.
National tourism council members, including ministers and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.
