Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed

Today Friday is World Tourism Day 2024. Tourism Day will be celebrated in Bangladesh like other countries of the worldThis year's theme was 'Tourism as a stepping stone to peace'.The annual conference of the UN Tourism Branch on 27 September 1970 re-evaluated the name, aims, objectives. Since then the members have agreed to name it 'World Tourism Organization' (UNWTO). The organization started its activities from 1974 under a new nameSince 1980, World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on 27 September. It aims to raise public awareness of the social, cultural, political and economic importance of tourism and to inform about the contribution of tourism to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Bangladesh is a naturally rich and diverse country. Such natural beauty is rare in many countries of the world. Tourism has directly and indirectly involved about 300 million people in the world in employment. 1 in 10 people are controlled by the tourism sector in some way. The question may arise - do you need to bring highly trained and advanced technology to enter the tourism sector? I think it is important for you to get out of this complicated thinking and make yourself early. But yes, better training and better technology will ease your way. Your value will increase. Even if you are not highly educated you can easily get a good job with short term training. Careers in tourism like other careers in the world will attract you like travel agent, hotel manager, tour operator, tour guide, executive chef, PR manager etc. It will be good for you to know that about 40 percent of the people of small countries like Maldives, Bhutan, Seychelles, Cambodia are making a living from the tourism sector. Bangladesh has a lot of potential in the tourism sector. Bangladesh is the largest island in the world. Bangladesh is a unique country in the world in terms of travel and tourism. Can you find any country in the world whose history, culture, nature - is so abundant that it attracts people to travel? If you like archeological sites, you can easily travel.

> Nautical tourism: Although the condition of the rivers in Bangladesh is pathetic, many countries of the world do not have such river-connected terrain. Therefore, it is necessary to think about exploiting the potential of Bangladesh in the field of river tourism or naval tourism as a comfortable and eco-friendly tourism. Marine tourism can gain popularity in Rangamati, Kaptai, Bandarban, Khulna, Bagerhat and Sunamganj regions. We know that many countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, America and the Middle East have cut canals to add a new dimension to the natural beauty of the city in order to make the internal communication system of the city more convenient and to attract tourists. For these reasons, marine tourism has gained popularity in India's Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir or Southeast Asia's Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. If developed in a planned way, marine tourism can become a vital component of prosperity in our national economy.

> Tourism of Haor region: From the famous Chinese tourist Hiuen Tsang to the famous tourists of the country and abroad, the beauty of Haor has attracted. Former US Ambassador Dan W. Mozina has also called Hawar a 'land of flying birds'. The good news is that the interest of travelers towards the interesting places of Howor area is increasing day by day. In winter, there is free roaming of guest birds in the misty haor. Houses are like small islands in Haor during the monsoons. Haor also has a unique contribution to our cultural prosperity. Hasan Raja, Ukil Munshi, Baulsamrat Shah Abdul Karim have reached a unique height in the musical repertoire of Haoran area. The Hijal-Tamal forest of Haur area attracts beauty lovers. In the Haor area consisting of 423 haors in 7 lakh 84 thousand hectares of wetlands in the seven districts of the country, the unique form of haors in winter and monsoon attracts tourists to the attraction of nature lovers. Due to this, our tourism industry can be enriched with the gathering of local and foreign tourists centered on this vast Haor Bengal. If the right plan is adopted and implemented, these haors of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria regions can become one of the tourist areas of the country. Khaliazuri, Mohanganj, Tentulia, Kishoreganj, Nikoli, Brahmanbaria, Sunamganj, Taherpur, Madhyanagar, Bholaganj, Tekerhat, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Jamalganj - these places need to provide accommodation, food and security for tourists through Bangladesh Tourism Corporation. It is very important to establish Hao Cultural Center. Road construction for commuting in the Haor region requires special three-wheeled bikes like motorcycles suitable for traveling on the rough roads of Haor including submerged roads - which can carry three-four passengers including the driver.

> Sports Tourism: In a roundtable meeting organized by the FBCCI Standing Committee on Sports Tourism, it was said that if the sports of Bangladesh can be truly associated with tourism, then the tourism industry of Bangladesh will undoubtedly be prosperous. According to an article in the Asian Journal on Sports and Economy, the leading countries in Asia in sports tourism in 2014 and 2015 are India 11 percent, China 10 percent, Thailand 9 percent, Korea 8 percent, Malaysia 7 percent, Sri Lanka 5 percent and Nepal 4 percent. percentage In case of Bangladesh, this share is less than 2%. If our rural games of boating, ha-doo-doo, stick games, ball games can be promoted to the world, then it will be possible to present Bangladesh as a Truely Sports Loving Country to the outside world.

> Islamic Tourism: The city of Tabriz in East Azerbaijan Province of Iran has been announced as the Islamic Tourism Capital for 2018. As we know, with the aim of expanding the tourism industry, the Saudi government has taken the initiative of "Islamic tourism" including the holy Umrah. Most countries of the Muslim world, including Bangladesh, agree with the initiative of the Saudi government. Sharmin Sultana, a teacher of tourism and hospitality management at a private university, has shown in a study that religious tourism has great potential in Bangladesh. According to his research, mosques, temples and churches are attractive places for tourists. Similarly, World Ijtema is also held in Bangladesh. It is possible to earn a lot of foreign currency if this is also done in a disciplined manner.

> Eco-friendly tourism industry

With the aim of sustainable development of tourism, the World Tourism Organization conference in 1995 approved an international draft resolution to develop an environmentally friendly tourism industry, known as Agenda-21. A beautiful and pollution-free climate is one of the elements of the tourism industry. Because climate change plays an important role in tourists' decisions about travel destinations, travel and travel. So the tourism industry is affected by climate change. According to experts, pollution-free and eco-friendly tourism will play an effective role in combating climate change. It is worth noting that the tourism industry has collapsed in America recently as a result of climate change. We also need to remember that the devastation of the Sundarbans due to cedar has had a detrimental effect on the tourism economy of Bangladesh. A beautiful, pollution-free, quality natural environment is required for the development of the tourism industry.

> Anindya Sundaram Bangladesh

There is no other natural diversity of six seasons like Bangladesh. We have beautiful mountains, rivers, horizon wide valleys-Banglar Haor, the largest beach Cox's Bazar, world famous mangrove forest Sundarbans, St. Martin, Teknaf and so on. There are Paharpur Buddha Vihar, Mainamati Vihar, Chittagong and Sylhet charming hill tea gardens and the unique lifestyle of the tribals. Apart from this, there are Kuakata beach, Madhavakunda fountain, traditional weaving industry, silk industry, khadi industry, Jamdani, Tangail weaving, Chapainawabganj ambagan, diverse occupations of Bengal, rich traditional culture, glorious history of independence and language movement, beautiful rural people, Hatbazar,Fair-culture-culture, the struggling life of farmers, Bengali New Year festival, everything is the center of attraction for tourists. Our Tanguare Hao is the most reliable place for migratory birds. This reservoir was recognized by the United Nations Ramsar Authority as an Important Biodiversity Wetland in 2000. Hakaluki Haor is one of the largest freshwater wetlands in Asia. Among the places to visit in Bangladesh are the three hill districts, Nijhum Island, Hatia, Sonadia, Patenga, Moulvibazar, Maheshkhali, Foy's Lake in Chittagong, many places rich in history and heritage including Chapainawabganj, Paharpur Vihar, Shalban Vihar, Mahasthangarh, Rani Bhavani's Kirti, Various mosques, temples, churches. There are also Mainamati, Ramsagar, Sonargaon, Natore, Rajbari, Dighapatia zamindar bari, Tajhat zamindar bari, Buddhist temple in Cox's Bazar, Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka, Ahsan Manzil, Gaur Lakshmanavati city, Ayodhya Math in Bagerhat etc. These places can become attractive to the travelers of the world and suitable for spending their vacations. Cox's Bazar, the second longest beach in the world, can generate a large amount of annual revenue only if it is possible to bring in foreign tourists by making Cox's Bazar an exclusive tourist zone. Sundarbans, home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, Sylhet's longest tea garden, Kaptai Lake in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Jaflong in Sylhet, Madhavakunda Falls in Moulvibazar; Antiquities of Naogaon, Natore, Dinajpur, Comilla, Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Mymensingh and Sherpur. Gaurab Paharpur of Naogaon Palayuga, Shalban Buddhist Vihara of Comilla, Bandarban of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Rangamati and Khagrachari trees, hill-forest, waterfalls and cloud rafts, Rangamati Kasalong, Sajek, Baghaichari, Barkal, Bilaichari, Longadu, Naniarchar, Rajasthani, Chandraghona, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Habiganj, Kishoreganj, Moulvibazar andSunamganj's Haor area has the beauty of Syamal Bengal, river country Chandpur, Barisal, Pirojpur and Jhalkathi along with sightseeing spots, there are wonderful opportunities for river travel.
> Tourism industry can bring surprise to the economy of Bangladesh:-

To maintain the economic progress of Bangladesh, it is essential to give importance to the tourism sector. There are currently more than 1.4 billion tourists in the world. This number will increase to 200 crores in the coming years i.e. by 2025. Earlier, during the Covid pandemic, the number of tourists worldwide dropped drastically. But gradually this number is increasing again.
Research says that 75 percent of these huge tourists will choose Asia as their destination. And there, the tourism sector of Bangladesh has to create its own opportunities. .About 4 million people are directly and indirectly involved in the tourism sector of Bangladesh. Among them, 15 lakh are directly involved and about 23 lakh are indirectly involved. As seen, around 90 to 95 lakh tourists are traveling within Bangladesh. Although this number is satisfactory, only 2 percent of it is foreignAs people's living standards increase, so does their interest in travel, which is a very important aspect for the tourism sector. According to the information, currently the income in the tourism sector of Bangladesh is about 76.19 million dollars. India earned $10,729 million, Maldives $602 million, Sri Lanka $385 million and Nepal $198 million, which is less than our income compared to other SAARC countries. According to a study by the World Tourism Organization, by 2050, tourists from 51 countries will visit Bangladesh, contributing 10 percent to the total GDP. Bangladesh will be the role model of South Asia if the immense potential of the tourism industry can be utilized. Bangladesh has the world's longest beach Cox's Bazar, the largest mangrove forest world heritage Sundarbans, there are numerous haor-rivers-channels-canals-bills of the country including Tanguar Haor and tourist centers rich in various natural resources. Still, Bangladesh's position in the tourism industry in the world is at the bottom. Even after 53 years of independence, the country's tourism industry has not progressed. We are still lagging behind other countries in South Asia. Based on the information of foreign tourist arrivals, the Mundi Index ranks how any country in the world is doing in tourism. According to their data, Bangladesh is ranked 141st among 188 countries in the world, and 42nd among 46 countries in Asia. Six out of eight South Asian countries have been ranked in the Mundi rankings. Among them, the position of Bangladesh is fourthStay away from foreign tourist attractions, the tourism organizations are not able to retain the tourists of the country. And the current year 2024 is not going well for the country's tourism sector. At the beginning of the year, the hot situation after the national elections, then the prolonged heat wave, and even during the two Eid festivals, the sector was facing a recession. On top of that, the student movement and struggle throughout July and August and later severe floods in the eastern part of the country brought more disaster to the sector. Popular entertainment centers are empty; No hustle and bustle of travelers. The livelihood of at least 16 types of services provided around this sector is under threatBusinessmen related to the sector claimed that the country's tourism sector had to accept a loss of around 1000 crores due to the internet shutdown action taken by the previous government to suppress the movement. Businessmen related to the sector claimed that the country's tourism sector had to accept a loss of around 1000 crores due to the internet shutdown action taken by the previous government to suppress the movement. According to the businessmen related to the tourism sector, the tourism sector had to accept the loss of around 1000 crore rupees due to the internet shutdown measures taken by the previous government to suppress the students' movement in July. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, the uncertainty created in the country's politics for several days also affected the tourism sector. Then comes the flood. Many popular tourist spots in Greater Sylhet and Chittagong Hill Tracts have also been affected by floods. Traders and service providers in this sector say that a stable environment is needed for travel. That environment was not there until now. But now that the interim government has taken over, they hope that the tourism sector will soon return to the country with stability. However, for this, the businessmen and service providers of the sector want the full cooperation of the government in this sector.

Finally, I would like to say that a small country with an area of 56 thousand square miles is our beloved motherland Bangladesh. Small in size, Bangladesh has a rich history and heritage. And there is immense beauty of this country. Breathtaking natural beauty, rich history and heritage, diverse culture, fascinating lifestyle have made Bangladesh a multi-dimensional attractive tourist destination. Travelers have been fascinated by the beauty of this country for ages. In the 14th century, the famous Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta was fascinated by the immense beauty of the two banks of the river on his way from Sonargaon to Sylhet by boat. Although Bangladesh is relatively small in size, the variety of existing tourist attractions can easily attract touristsAnd there is immense potential in the tourism industry in Bangladesh. But despite this huge potential, we are lagging behind in the tourism industry due to lack of proper planning. Integrated planning is needed for the development of this industry. All parties involved in the tourism industry should work together. In addition to the development of domestic tourism, emphasis should be placed on the promotion of foreign tourist attractions. Along with the development of this industry, special attention should be paid to the creation of skilled human resources. If the right action plan is implemented, the tourism industry can play one of the important roles in the economic and social development of Bangladesh. And in the sustainable development and development of tourism in Bangladesh, increasing wildlife sanctuaries, conservation of natural resources can speed up the development of tourism. Also, the government as well as private tour operators, hotels and aviation have to work together to promote and develop the country's tourism industry.

The writer is a, Columnist and researcher Founder Chairman,Jatiya Rogi Kallyan
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