Travel operators hail tourism sector budget
Source:myRepublica
From:Taiwan Trade Center, Dhaka
Update Time:2019/11/28
Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) and Association of Travel Agent of Bangladesh (ATAB) have expressed their satisfaction with the budgetary allocation for the tourism sector but they put emphasis and focus on proper planning and policy to ensure positive outcome in the sector.
An allocation of Tk3,426 crore (34 billion) has been made in the budget proposed for 2019-20 fiscal for Civil Aviation (Biman) and Tourism Ministry targeting to establish international standard aviation as well as develop tourism industry for the country's sustainable growth.
The amount is more than double the allocation for the sector in 2018-19 fiscal year.
The industry insiders suggest that the authorities give priority to security and transport management system and use the allocation for promotion of the sector.
Syed Shafat Uddin Ahmed Tomal, TOAB director, media and publications, has told Dhaka Tribune: “We were not happy with the allocation in last budget but the allocation in the proposed budget is business-friendly. Now, the authorities have to take effective steps to develop this sector, especially for infrastructure, security and marketing.”
Nowadays, tourism business is steadily growing due to increased financial capability of people, points out Tomal, also managing director of Market n-Trance Ltd.
“Although domestic tourism has grown, there is a lack of adequate facilities for the tourists. Many tourist centers still do not have adequate infrastructure, good communication and tourists' overall security,” he mentions.
As per statistics provided by Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, now 50 to 60 million people travel inside the country every year, which was 25 to 30 million five years ago.
ATAB President SN Manzur Murshed (Mahbub) tells Dhaka Tribune: “Bangladesh's tourism sector involves 1.5 million people while indirectly 23 million people are involved in it, creating employment for about 40-45 lakh people. The size of domestic tourism sector in financial term now stands at least Tk4 billion.”
“I think unplanned infrastructure still remains the main problem facing this sector. We are calling for necessary steps and effective action from the government to address the problem immediately,” he says.
Although the government has taken many master plans for the development of the tourism industry, their implementation is not visible yet. Neighboring country like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives have massive plan to tap the potential market of tourism.
Civil aviation and tourism sector lacks proper marketing measures while security issues are still big, which is a big impediment in the way of attracting foreign tourists, says travel operator Mokbul Hossain Max.
“The most important thing about tourism is how to protect tourists and tourist spots as in the last four years we faced many challenges including terrorist attacks, including that on Holey Artisan, which prevented foreign tourists from visiting our country. Especially Japanese and Korean tourists, who are our main clients, are afraid to visit our country,” said TOAB Director Shafat Uddin Ahmed Tomal.
“So, the authorities should give priority to transport system and security,” he suggests.
Big Challenge
While the government has started implementing Tourism Reserved Area and Special Tourist Area Act-2010, traffic jam in Dhaka, inadequate tourism transportation transport, inadequate recreation centres, non-professional manpower, budget, absence of overseas marketing and others are major challenges for the development of tourism industry.
The government has taken a lot of new policies to build leadership in private tourism sector. Where the private sector does not dare to build tourism facilities or is unwilling, the government will build tourism infrastructure and facilities and when the private sector is there, the government will gradually withdraw its investment.
Professor Mojib Uddin Ahmed of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management of Dhaka University says: “Public-private partnership has not yet been established in the sector although it is necessary for the development of sustainable tourism. Tourism can be one of the most important sectors for attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
The allocation in the proposed budget for 2019-20 fiscal year for the sector is more than double the revised budget of 2018-19 fiscal that was Tk1,071 crore while the proposed budget was Tk1,508 crore.
Of the currently proposed Tk3,426 crore, Tk3,375 crore will be spent under the annual development program (ADP) and Tk51 crore under non-development sector.
At his speech, the finance minister said the government took various steps for the infrastructural development at airports and ensuring easy and safe air travel for passengers to facilitate fast and standard international and domestic aviation.
"Construction of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is in progress to enhance its passenger handling capacity to 12 million," he said.
The minister said site selection and feasibility study on the construction of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib International Airport was in progress. Besides, he said, runways expansion and capacity enhancement of Cox's Bazar and Sylhet Osmani Airports to international standard were underway while feasibility study to upgrade Syedpur Airport to international level was completed, he said.
He said work on establishing an exclusive tourist zone was underway in Cox's Bazar for foreign tourists. Describing potential of the blue economy, the finance minister said sea eco-tourism and boat tourism would be introduced through private sector.
Source:https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2019/06/15/travel-operators-hail-tourism-sector-budget