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The government has set a target of increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) to 6-7 percent and has launched an initiative to implement a nationwide Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) to address data gaps in the industry, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said on Sunday.
Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected executive committee of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) at the Gulshan Club in Dhaka, the minister called for active cooperation from TOAB and all stakeholders to successfully implement the TSA initiative.
She said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is working to build a sustainable, modern and world-class tourism sector in Bangladesh.
As part of that effort, the government is preparing a comprehensive Tourism Master Plan covering 1,498 tourist attractions across the country. The plan is expected to serve as a long-term roadmap for the development of the tourism industry.
Congratulating the newly elected TOAB committee, the minister expressed hope that its new leadership would play a significant role in expanding Bangladesh’s tourism sector.
She said transforming Cox’s Bazar into a regional tourism hub remains one of the government’s key priorities, adding that the newly built Cox’s Bazar International Airport would help attract more foreign tourists and support the sector’s growth.
The minister also announced plans to offer special discounts at state-owned Bangladesh Tourism Corporation hotels and motels for Bangladeshi expatriates.
The ceremony was attended by National Skills Development Authority Secretary and Executive Chairman Dr Nazneen Kawsar Chowdhury, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman, Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh Nina P. Cayanglet, Sri Lankan High Commissioner Dharmapala Weerakkody, Brunei Darussalam High Commissioner Haji Haris bin Haji Othman, representatives from the Nepal and Pakistan embassies, TOAB leaders, journalists and tourism industry representatives.
