By Tanzim Anwar

The World Tourism Day will be celebrated in the country tomorrow like elsewhere in the world with great enthusiasm vowing to engage more youth in the travel and leisure industry.

The civil aviation and tourism ministry along with its affiliated organizations, the Tourist Police, and other government and private entities, have planned a series of events to celebrate the day with the global theme "Tourism and Peace".

The programmes included a colorful rally starting at 8:00 AM from the Tourism Building in Agargaon and a seminar at 9:00 AM in the 'Shailpropat Hall' of the Tourism Building focusing on the day’s theme.

Later, marking the day, the Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) will also organise a seminar at its office at Agargaon.

Special discounts are also announced by hotels, motels, and restaurants for this occasion while Biman Bangladesh Airlines offered Special ticket discounts.

The Bangladesh Tourism Corporation will organize a live cooking show.

Painting and essay competitions will be arranged for children at tourism centers in each district to spread awareness about tourism.

On this occasion, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Advisor Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus have already issued messages while special supplements will be published in newspapers.

At a press conference today, held at the secretariat on the occasion, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan said the government has decided to observe 'Tourism Week' and 'Tourism Month' in phases engaging public especially the young generation for ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth of the sector.

She said the government will also take various initiatives following the recently completed ‘Tourism Master Plan’ to ensure the sector's comprehensive development.

Additionally, Nasreen Jahan announced a special initiative to provide training to family members of the heroic martyrs of the July-August uprising, enabling them to contribute to the tourism industry.

The secretary said initiative has been taken to gain confidence of both domestic and international tourists regarding improving the country’s security situation following the July-August mass uprising.

All Bangladesh missions abroad have been instructed to carry forward campaigning regarding the improved scenario of Bangladesh while endeavour is going on to convince different countries to withdraw their travel advisory for Bangladesh.

“As per this year’s theme, tourism play a vital role as a catalyst in the process of building peace, fostering positive attitudes among various countries, cultures, and peoples,” Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) CEO Abu Taher Muhammad Jaber told BSS today.

He said BTB has finalized the long-awaited tourism master plan, aiming to attract 5.57 million foreign tourists annually by 2041 and generate 21.94 million jobs within the sector.

The plan calls for $1.08 billion in public and private investment to develop 10 key tourism clusters. Feasibility studies for five of these projects are already in the final stage, according to the BTB.

TOAB president Mohammed Rafiuzzaman said, in 1950, the number of tourists worldwide was just 25 million while, by 2023, that figure has surged to approximately 1,270 million and it is estimated that this year, around 140 crore tourists will travel across the globe.

“This means the number of tourists has increased nearly 50 times over the past 67 years ... as the number of tourists grows, the economic activities surrounding tourism have also expanded significantly,” he said.

He called on the government to cancel new deposit requirements and address inconsistencies in the ‘Tour Operator and Tour Guide Act, 2024’, warning that these measures could harm future of the tourism industry.

“These requirements will discourage new entrepreneurs from entering the tourism industry, and may harm the industry’s growth in near future,” Rafiuzzaman said.

The TOAB head also demanded the removal of VAT on tour operator services to support the growth of Bangladesh's tourism industry.

Since 1980, the UN's tourism body has proclaimed this day, which has been celebrated with due reverence in member countries worldwide.

On the occasion, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili issued separate messages.

“On this World Tourism Day, we reflect on the profound connection between tourism and peace. Sustainable tourism can transform communities – creating jobs, fostering inclusion and strengthening local economies. By valuing and preserving cultural and natural heritage, it can help reduce tensions and nurture peaceful coexistence,” Guterres said.

According to UN secretary general, tourism can also promote economic interdependence between neighbours, encouraging cooperation and peaceful development.