The government has framed rules for tour operators and guides in order to give the key cogs of the tourism industry a formal shape and tap the sector's potential in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Tour Operator Rules 2024 and the Bangladesh Tour Guide Rules 2024 were published recently. The civil aviation and tourism ministry has issued separate notifications to this effect.

Industry people have welcomed the laws, saying they would help the sector thrive.

According to the Bangladesh Tour Operator Rules, if a person or organisation wants to work as a tour operator, they will need to obtain registration.

Previously, securing registration was not mandatory, according to industry people.

The firms will have to show a bank statement of Tk 10 lakh to secure the licence.

If a foreign company wants to operate in Bangladesh as an operator, it will have to own at least 51 percent of the share of the firm and set up an office in the country.

If registration is obtained by providing false information, the authorities will be able to cancel it after investigating the issue and holding hearings.

Tourists can't be harassed in any way, the rules said, adding that child labour can't be used in the operation and the natural environment and ecology can't be harmed.

Similarly, guides will need registration to work in the industry, according to the Bangladesh Tour Guide Rules.

A guide must collect weather information in advance and maintain professionalism. Besides, they should ensure the safety of tourists, it said.

Tourists must be informed about the law and order situation and if a tourist suffers any loss due to the negligence of the guides, the latter will have to pay compensation to the former, it added.

Shiblul Azam Koreshi, president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, said they have long been demanding rules for operators and guides.

"We needed it for our own identity. Rules are needed to build any industry. From that point of view, it has been a positive development."

He, however, said it would have been better if the government had fixed a lower amount for the bank statement needed to obtain registration.

"This is because the industry is not fully developed yet."

Currently, the association has 900 registered operators. Besides, there are many more operators, Koreshi said.

Imranul Alam, a tour operator, pointed out the Tk 3 lakh that would have to be kept as a security deposit with the registration authority is a high amount.

"It will be a difficult task for many entrepreneurs to provide the bank statement of Tk 10 lakh and the security deposit. Large firms may not face any problems. But it's a problem for medium and small-sized firms."

"This may demotivate many young entrepreneurs to conduct business in this sector," he said, urging the government to revisit the amounts.

Mainul Islam Raju, a tour operator, said many businessmen did not pay taxes before. "Now, many are tax-compliant. This means the industry is becoming more formalised."

He cited the rules say nothing about how the businesses in the sector would survive if they face a major crisis in the future like Covid-19.

Santus Kumar Deb, chairman of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Dhaka University, thinks the rules will take the tourism and hospitality sector forward.

"Now, their credibility will increase and the trust of the people towards the sector will deepen because tourists will now know that if operators and guides cheat them, the individuals and companies responsible will face the music."

Prof Deb also said new entrepreneurs should be allowed to secure registration by showing Tk 5 lakh in their bank statements.

"This will attract new entrepreneurs to the sector."

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, according to the Bangladesh Tourism Board.

The contribution of the sector to the gross domestic product is estimated at 3.02 percent, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data showed. The sector accounts for 8.07 percent of the total employment.