Eco and heritage tourism targeted as govt eyes new genres of tourists

The government has drawn up a plan to construct facilities across the country to attract both local and international tourists looking for eco-tourism and traveling to heritage sites.

Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of the local people. Heritage tourism is a practice where people visit heritage sites within a country or travel abroad to historical places of significance.

The global ecotourism market size was valued at $216 billion in 2023, according to market research firm Fortune Business Insights. It was $587 billion for heritage tourism, said IMARC Group.

Such data for Bangladesh is hard to come by but the country boasts spots and sites that can easily draw tourists from home and aboard if they can offer facilities and the government promotes them.

As part of the initiative of the government, projects have been taken up to build tourism facilities in Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj, the Nijhum Island in Noakhali, Sarankhola in the Sundarbans, Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon's Paharpur, and the Mawa-end of the Padma Bridge.

The move comes as the number of internal tourists has seen a massive surge in recent years on the back of rising per capita income in a nation tipped to become the ninth-largest consumer market globally by 2030.

There were 40 lakh to 50 lakh tourists, both local and foreign, in Bangladesh three years ago. The number has gone up to two crore now, with locals making up the most, according to the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB).

The government has placed special emphasis for the development of eco-tourism and heritage tourism in the country, said Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in June while placing the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Thanks to the socio-economic progress of the country, there is a growing domestic demand for tourism apart from the interest of foreign tourists, he said.

The government is implementing a 25-year tourism master plan to contribute to economic development through tourism.

Presently, tourism contributes 3.02 percent to the gross domestic product, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data showed. The sector accounts for 8.07 percent of the total employment.

The master plan will serve as a comprehensive roadmap to revitalise the tourism sector. If implemented, its contribution to the national economy will be $4.77 billion by 2041.

Mohammad Rafeuzzaman, president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, the apex body of travel agencies, said the government is giving importance to eco-tourism, heritage tourism and MICE tourism.

"These segments have a good prospect."

MICE tourism stands for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions tourism and refers to business travel where people go to different places for professional or educational events.

According to Rafeuzzaman, in the case of eco-tourism and heritage tourism, everything must be adapted to the local community and the current situation of biodiversity.

"Work must be done as per proper planning. Otherwise, the environment will be badly damaged."

He added: "Tourism is such a sector where no plan can be taken and implemented in a hurry since if there is an adverse effect for any reason, the sector will have to suffer the consequences in the long run."

Mazharul Islam, deputy director for research and planning at the state-run BTB, said no large brick-made structures will be built in the areas selected for eco and heritage-based tourism.

He said the National Tourism Council will approve the master plan in a few days. "These projects will be implemented in line with the master plan."

He, however, said it would take one and a half years for the projects to secure approval from the planning ministry. Also, foreign funds are being explored to implement the projects.

In the meantime, feasibility studies about the projects will be carried out.

The government has set up destination management organisations in all these areas to attract tourists, according to the budget speech of the finance minister.

Moreover, with the aim of developing a sustainable tourism industry, the government has taken initiatives to provide advanced training to tour operators and guides and registering them.

Projects have already been started to develop Parki in Chattogram, the Hatia and Nijhum islands in Noakhali, and the Mahananda in Chapainawabganj as tourist destinations.

The government also plans to build facilities of global standards in Rangpur, Chandpur, and Cox's Bazar.