Arifa Akter: Bangladesh is a promising country in the tourism industry. The largest seaport in Chittagong is one of the tourist destinations in the country. There are also tourist spots in Bandarban, Rangamati, Sajek, Paharpur, Sylhet. Numerous tourist spots are scattered in the largest Chittagong namely Comilla, Sitakunda, Mirasarai, Anwara, Patenga, Banshkhali, Cox`s Bazar, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Rangamati. Foreign tourists visit Cox`s Bazar beach, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari in large numbers. The topography of Chittagong is especially suitable for tourism. Especially Khaira Chhara Jharna of Mirsarai Upazila, MahamayaLake, Chandranath Hill, SitakunduUpazilaBeach. Patenga Beach of Chittagong Metropolitan, AnwaraParkiBeach, BanshkhaliBeach, BamerchharaLake, Chandpur Tea Garden, Sonadia of Maheshkhali, Cox`s BazarBeach, Narikel Jinjira of Teknaf, Meghla of Bandarban, Swarna Mandir, Nilpar Domestic and foreign tourists gather at numerous tourist spots including SajekValley in Khagrachhari.

Although the government has the potential to generate huge amount of revenue from the tourism sector of Bangladesh, it does not get much revenue. The main reason for this is the lack of sincerity of the Ministry of Tourism and those involved in tourism. First of all, the tourist spots are not very good. Although the overall transportation system of the country is good, the government needs to pay more attention to the development of communication system of tourist spots. Apart from Cox`s Bazar beach, no other tourist spot has good connectivity.

The government must work to ensure a tourism-friendly environment in any place of natural beauty. In addition, branding and promotion of the place, development of communication system, provision of security, organization of folk and cultural fairs, religious beliefs and tastes should be created according to the tastes. Swimming zones, clubs, sports zones, party centers, cultural centers etc. should be set up around the tourist centers. In addition, scuba diving, fishing, surfing, curling, boating, water writing, beach sports, mountain climbing should be arranged around the beaches of Bangladesh.

By increasing public-private investment, it is possible to capitalize on biodiversity and achieve economic development without harming biodiversity, which requires ensuring equitable distribution of resources. In the development of tourist centers, the local people have to be directly involved and responsible environmentally friendly services have to be ensured. It is also time for the Bangladesh government to prioritize the tourism industry in the budget for the development of the tourism industry, simplify the visa process, and build a security force for the tourist police force.

The tourism industry of Bangladesh has immense potential. The development of this industry is going to be noticed even though it is slow. This progress of the tourism industry is due to the continuous progress of the last few years due to infrastructural development, use of information technology, development of security system, political and social stability. Although the journey of tourism in Bangladesh started a long time ago, it could not make much progress due to various adverse conditions. In this context, it is necessary to increase the casual work plan of the organizations related to tourism. Bangladesh`s economy can go much further by relying only on the tourism industry. Mainly security, culture, housing, port and air transport infrastructure, development of financial quality is very important. It should be ensured that domestic and foreign tourists feel comfortable visiting.

At present, there is a huge potential for the development and growth of tourism industry in Bangladesh. The Sundarbans, the single largest mangrove forest in the world (approximately 6,018 sq mi) is a gold mine for Bangladesh`s pride and tourism industry. The forest has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, so tourism authorities should consider this mangrove forest separately. Other ecotourism attractions include tea gardens in greater Sylhet, evergreen hills, St. Martin`s Island, Cox`s Bazar and the silvery sandy beaches of Kuakata, rivers and streams, haor areas, forests and wildlife, colorful tribal life and simple rural life. There is a huge demand for this unknown and unadulterated tourism product in the world tourism market. Sustainable tourism development requires the determination of the capacity of these tourism products and their maintenance, proper planning and management, preservation of unique tourist attractions, marketing of tourism products and preparation to successfully present them to interested tourists.

Our Bangladesh, which has immense potential, can be an ideal tourist city in South Asia, which will not only drive the economic wheel. At the same time, it will present Bangladesh in a positive image in the world arena. According to the Bangladesh Tourism Police, there are more than 600 tourist destinations in Bangladesh, large and small. If these places can be linked with tourism through proper planning, it will play a huge role in the economic development of this country.

Author: Arifa Akter is a student of Final Year at Jagannath University. She can be reached at: ayatarifa5@gmail.com