World Tourism Day Today: Ctg tourism potential remains untapped

With a scenic sea view, hills, a mangrove forest, waterfalls and lakes, Chittagong city and its adjacent upazilas are blessed by the nature with diverse elements to make it an attraction for tourists.

However, indifference of the government agencies left potentials of most tourist spots untapped. The tourist destinations in Chittagong remain neglected while the world is observing the World Tourism Day today.

For example, Patenga sea beach in the port city attracts thousands of tourists every day. Three government agencies planned to develop its infrastructure since 1997, but no one has implemented its plan yet.

The Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) planned to develop a tourist area on 150 acres of land, spending Tk 650 crore under its Patenga Bay Resort Project in 1997. The project failed to get government approval in 2002. But the CCC built a three-storey building for tourists spending Tk 30 lakh. The building is now abandoned.

Again in 2010, the CCC proposed another project for developing 40 acres of the beach, spending Tk 93 crore. The project proposal was sent to the tourism ministry for a no-objection certificate in January 2012. However, it is yet to receive the certificate, says CCC Superintendent Engineer Rafiqul Islam Manik.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), the country's tourism promotional body, drew up a plan to build a motel on five acres land of the beach in 2012. That too was abandoned as the proposed land went into the Karnaphuli tunnel project, said a BPC official.

Then again, the Department of Environment Chittagong took an initiative for the development of a two-kilometre walkway, sitting arrangements and forestation on both sides to beautify the beach in 2013. Then Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud laid the foundation for the Tk 7.14 crore project in February 13, 2013. The project is yet to be implemented.

Two other beautiful beaches are Parki beach in Anwara upazila and Kattali beach in Pahartali in the city.

Shah Mizanur Rahman, manager of Motel Shaikat of BPC in Chittagong, said they are planning to build a resort on 13 acres near Parki beach and are scrutinising the land documents. While the development of Patenga and Parki is stuck at planning, Kattali beach, which has a mangrove forest, is still neglected.

As a result, the beaches, which attract thousands of tourists daily, are being occupied by unplanned structures to cater for visitors, destroying their beauty. Besides, there is no initiative to ensure safety of visitors. On September 20, a boy drowned in the sea near Kattali beach.

Like the beaches, the beauty of hills and waterfalls in Mirsharai upazila attracts visitors in thousands. Especially the Khoyachhara and Napittachhara waterfalls are full of visitors during the rainy season.

But there are no roads or signs for the tourists to go to the places. As a result, visitors often get lost. On August 15 this year, a young engineer died while going to Napittachara waterfall. He had lost his way and had fallen from a hill.

Mizanur said a BPC team would visit the waterfalls to see if taking up any project in the area was commercially viable. 

The only tourist destination that has been developed with infrastructure in the city is Foy's Lake. Around 336-acre lake on hills in Pahartali area has been developed as a tourist destination by a private firm in 2004. At present, it attracts around 5.5 to six lakh visitors yearly.

Bishwajit Ghosh, marketing manager of Concord Amusement World Foy's Lake, says if the government cannot develop the tourist sites, they should give those to private or joint venture initiatives for development. If they leave the beautiful sites without proper development, then the sites will loss beauty and attraction by unplanned development.

For this reason, tourists would look for alternative places abroad.