The government has emphasized stronger coordination between the public and private sectors and greater public awareness to unlock Bangladesh’s potential in eco-tourism and develop the country’s tourism industry.

The remarks came at a seminar titled “Public-Private Partnership and Awareness Building for the Promotion of Eco-Tourism”, organized by the Bangladesh Tourism Board at the Tourism Bhaban in Agargaon on Wednesday (August 12).

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam, MP, attended the seminar as the chief guest. Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhter, NDC, was present as the guest of honor, while Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md. Samimuzzaman attended as a special guest. The seminar was chaired by Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer (Additional Charge) Md. Abdur Rouf, NDC.

In her speech, Minister Afroza Khanam said that despite Bangladesh completing 55 years of independence, there have been relatively few notable examples of development in the tourism sector. She said the current government is working to establish Bangladesh as a tourism hub in line with its election manifesto.

She added that several initiatives have already been undertaken to develop the tourism sector within just five months of the government taking office. However, establishing Bangladesh as a tourism hub will not be an easy journey, and cooperation from all stakeholders will be essential.

The minister said the government hopes to move the country forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with support from all concerned parties. She stressed the need to identify priorities before undertaking development initiatives.

To prevent an information gap between government agencies and the private sector, she said the government wants to hold monthly meetings with private-sector stakeholders.

Afroza Khanam also highlighted plans to develop several villages associated with the government’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) initiatives as tourism destinations. These include Mitingachhari village in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati, Pankhali village in Dakop upazila of Khulna and Nafanagar village in Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur, among others.

She said the government wants to identify tourism-potential sites across all 64 districts and gradually develop them into internationally competitive tourist destinations.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhter, NDC, said work has already begun on a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) to address the shortage of reliable information in the tourism sector.

She also said the government is working on an eco-tourism policy. According to her, a lack of coordination in the past had hindered progress in the sector. With cooperation from stakeholders, she said, the government would be able to overcome these coordination gaps and advance the tourism industry.

The seminar featured detailed discussions on the importance of eco-tourism in Bangladesh, the current state of the sector, challenges to its development, action plans and the steps required to unlock its potential.

Professor Dr. Md. Wasiul Islam of the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology at Khulna University presented the keynote paper at the event.