Lion Md. Gani Miah Babul

Bangladesh is a country blessed with extraordinary natural diversity. Cox’s Bazar, home to one of the world’s longest natural sea beaches, the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, the hills and waterfalls of the Chattogram Hill Tracts, the tea gardens of Sylhet, the sal forests of Gazipur, haors, rivers, chars, archaeological sites, historic structures, rural life, folk culture and Bengali heritage together offer enormous potential for tourism. The Bangladesh Tourism Board also recognises the country’s natural and cultural diversity as a major asset for the tourism industry.

However, potential and actual achievement are not the same thing. One of the biggest challenges facing Bangladesh’s tourism sector is that, compared with the richness of its resources, the country’s presence in the international tourism market remains limited. According to Bangladesh Tourism Board data, 585,145 foreign visitors came to Bangladesh in 2025, compared with 633,094 in 2024 and 655,451 in 2023. This means that the number of foreign visitors declined by 7.6 percent in one year.

This is precisely where Bangladesh’s tourism sector needs to be reconsidered. We have tourist attractions, but in many cases we lack effective tourism management. We have natural beauty, but not always services of international standard. We have potential, but lack coordinated marketing. As a result, even when tourists visit Bangladesh, they often do not stay for long periods or spend as much as they could, limiting the foreign-exchange earnings generated by tourism.

Data from Bangladesh Bank also highlights the issue. In the fiscal year 2024–25, service export earnings from the “Travel” sector stood at US$454.3 million, compared with US$447.1 million in the previous fiscal year—an increase of only 1.6 percent. Meanwhile, according to Asian Development Bank data, Bangladesh’s earnings from foreign tourism had declined to around US$440 million in 2024.

Therefore, the success of the tourism sector cannot be measured simply by counting how many foreign visitors enter the country. It is equally important to consider how long they stay, how much they spend, how many jobs are created, how much local communities benefit and how much foreign currency the country earns.

A major challenge for Bangladesh’s tourism sector is inadequate infrastructure. Many promising tourist destinations still lack quality road connections, clean sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, quality accommodation, adequate parking, waste-management systems, information centres, tourist-friendly transportation and emergency medical services. If a tourist faces difficulties with transportation, safety, food, cleanliness or access to information, natural beauty alone cannot guarantee a satisfactory experience.

In particular, developing Cox’s Bazar as an internationally recognised and integrated tourism city should now be considered a national priority. In 2026, the government announced an initiative to prepare an integrated master plan to develop Cox’s Bazar as an international and regional tourism destination. The important issue now is to ensure that this plan does not remain confined to paper.

Another major challenge is the unplanned management of tourist destinations. Tourism does not simply mean constructing hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities. Tourism development must go hand in hand with the protection of the environment, biodiversity, local culture, water bodies, hills, forests, beaches and historical sites. Otherwise, in the name of developing tourism, we may eventually destroy the very resources we seek to promote.

In destinations such as Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin’s Island, the Sundarbans, the hill regions, haor areas and river-based tourism zones, the goal should therefore not simply be to attract more tourists, but to ensure organised and sustainable tourism. Clear policies and effective implementation are needed to determine how many tourists an area can accommodate, what kinds of structures may be built, how waste will be managed and who will be held responsible if environmental damage occurs.

Tourist safety is another significant concern. For both domestic and international visitors, safety is not an additional luxury; it is a basic requirement. Tourist harassment, excessive fares, fraud, theft, drugs, unsafe transportation, unhygienic food or the lack of rapid assistance during emergencies can seriously damage the image of a tourism destination. The government has already announced initiatives to increase the manpower of the Tourist Police to strengthen tourist security.

This initiative should be further strengthened by establishing a 24-hour integrated tourist safety system at major destinations. A tourist assistance hotline, digital complaint mechanism, emergency medical services, safety arrangements for women and children, and trained Tourist Police could all be brought under an integrated system.

Another major challenge is weak international marketing. Countries around the world are investing heavily to establish their tourism sectors as global brands. Bangladesh has also undertaken the “Beautiful Bangladesh” promotional initiative and announced plans to strengthen the country’s tourism branding internationally. However, promotion cannot be limited to posters, videos or websites. Bangladesh needs to identify which categories of tourists from which countries are most likely to visit, what types of tourism they prefer, how long they are likely to stay and how much they may spend. Marketing strategies should then be developed based on this analysis.

Bangladesh’s tourism industry can be promoted internationally through a number of specialised tourism packages, including beach tourism, Sundarbans-based ecotourism, hill tourism, archaeological and heritage tourism, religious tourism, river and haor tourism, rural tourism, cultural tourism, as well as medical and MICE tourism. Rather than promoting every destination in the same way, market-specific branding could produce more effective results.

Another important challenge is the shortage of reliable tourism data. It is necessary to regularly collect and analyse information on where domestic tourists are travelling, the main source countries of foreign visitors, where they stay, how much they spend, which services they find unsatisfactory and how much pressure individual destinations are facing. The government has stated that it is working on a Tourism Satellite Account precisely to address the need for reliable tourism data. It has also announced an initiative to identify around 1,498 tourism attractions and finalise an integrated tourism master plan.

This is an important initiative. However, collecting data alone is not enough; the data must also be used in policymaking. A national Tourism Dashboard could be established to regularly publish information on tourist numbers, revenue, hotel occupancy, transportation, safety, environmental conditions, employment and tourist satisfaction. This would strengthen accountability and allow investors to make decisions based on reliable information.

Another major challenge is the prolonged implementation of tourism master plans. The tourism master plan prepared in 2019 reportedly remained stuck for years in the processes of final approval and implementation. The plan included ambitious targets such as increasing foreign tourist arrivals to 5.57 million by 2041, creating 22 million jobs and establishing 10 tourism clusters.

What is needed now is a realistic, time-bound and financially viable plan. Bangladesh must move away from a culture in which plans are formulated but implementation remains delayed. Every tourism project should have a clearly identified responsible agency, a specific timeline, a defined source of funding, measurable implementation indicators and a mechanism for publicly reporting progress.

Local community participation is another crucial element of tourism development. If people living around tourist destinations do not receive economic benefits from tourism, the sector will not remain sustainable in the long run. Local young people can be trained as tour guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant workers, handicraft entrepreneurs, boat operators and tourism entrepreneurs. The government has also announced initiatives to involve local communities in tourism development through Community-Based Tourism.

Special employment programmes for women and young people in the tourism sector could also create significant social benefits. Tourism should not be viewed merely as a means of attracting foreign visitors; it can also be one of the most effective ways to stimulate local economies.
Digital technology must also play a greater role. Before travelling to Bangladesh, a foreign tourist should be able to obtain reliable information from a single government digital platform regarding visas, transportation, hotels, tourist attractions, guides, tickets, weather, security, emergency contacts and travel guidelines. The same platform could provide tourists with an opportunity to submit complaints and feedback.

Road safety is also directly connected to tourism development. If tourists encounter unsafe vehicles, untrained drivers, excessive speeding, unfit vehicles or uncontrolled transportation systems while travelling to tourist destinations, the overall tourism experience is significantly affected. Tourist routes should therefore be brought under a comprehensive road-safety system, with trained drivers, regulated fares, vehicle fitness requirements, adequate rest areas, emergency medical services and rescue facilities.

The greatest strength of Bangladesh’s tourism sector is its diversity. Many countries have one or two major tourism attractions. Bangladesh, however, offers a combination of beaches, forests, hills, rivers, haors, archaeological sites, folk traditions and a rich food culture. If this diversity can be transformed into a well-organised national tourism brand, it could open new opportunities for the tourism economy.

However, this task cannot be left to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism or the Bangladesh Tourism Board alone. The ministries and agencies responsible for civil aviation, road transport, railways, waterways, home affairs, environment, culture, local government, commerce, foreign affairs and information technology, along with the Ministry of Finance, must work in coordination. Tourism is a cross-sectoral economic activity, and its development must therefore be based on effective inter-ministerial cooperation.

In the current economic context, Bangladesh needs to expand employment opportunities and sources of foreign-exchange earnings. The World Bank has also emphasised the importance of job creation, investment and economic diversification in its 2026 Bangladesh Development Update. In this context, tourism can no longer be treated simply as an entertainment sector. It is an important economic sector with the potential to generate employment, support small entrepreneurs, strengthen local economies, earn foreign currency and enhance Bangladesh’s international image.

Several practical steps are now essential. The 2026 integrated tourism master plan should be finalised quickly and implemented on a priority basis. Cox’s Bazar, the Sundarbans, the hill regions, Sylhet, the haor areas and heritage zones should be developed as distinct tourism clusters. Cleanliness, safety, waste management and emergency medical services should be established as mandatory standards at tourist destinations. Long-term, market-oriented international promotional campaigns should be undertaken. One-stop services should be introduced to reduce administrative complexities for tourism investment and business operations. Local communities should be made genuine partners in the tourism economy. Tourism Satellite Accounts and tourism databases should be used to publish regular and reliable information. Safe and dependable transportation should be ensured along major tourism routes.

Most importantly, tourism development must never become another name for environmental destruction. If beaches, hills, forests, rivers and biodiversity are damaged in an attempt to attract tourists today, the tourism industry itself will face a serious threat tomorrow. Therefore, the guiding principle of Bangladesh’s tourism development should be “protecting nature while strengthening the economy.”

The challenges facing Bangladesh’s tourism sector are not insurmountable, nor is its potential unlimited. If planning, discipline, safety, investment, skilled human resources, technology, environmental protection and effective international promotion can be brought together, tourism can make a much greater contribution to the national economy. What is needed now is not simply another discussion about potential, but political and administrative commitment, a time-bound action plan and visible implementation that can turn potential into reality.

The potential of Bangladesh’s tourism industry is not a matter of imagination; it is a visible reality reflected in our nature, history, heritage, culture and the hospitality of our people. Tourism should not be treated as an isolated entertainment sector, but as an important driver of employment, foreign-exchange earnings, local economic development and sustainable growth.
Our nature has already opened its doors of beauty to the world. Now it is our responsibility to transform that beauty into a safe, sustainable and world-class tourism system. Only through collective efforts to harness our potential, address our challenges and establish a clear path forward can Bangladesh’s tourism industry become one of the strongest foundations for employment, foreign-exchange earnings and sustainable development.

Author:
Lion Md. Gani Miah Babul
Teacher, Poet, Columnist, Social Worker and Organiser
Founding President, Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers Association (Agriculture), Central Committee
Joint Secretary General, Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA), Central Committee
Phone: 01552631118, 01842631118
Email: lionganibabul@gmail.com