Line ministries agree to boost cultural tourism

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat on Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be signed between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to facilitate closer collaboration for the promotion of tourism centres around the country’s historical sites and archaeological heritage.

Once the MoU is signed, a standard operating procedure (SoP) will be developed and a Joint Taskforce for Cultural Tourism be constituted to drive forward the nation’s cultural tourism agenda, he added.

To this end, an inter-ministerial meeting was held in the conference room of the Ministry of Culture where Millat was present as the chief guest, with Nitai Roy Chowdhury, minister for culture, in the chair.

Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyem, deputy minister for culture, Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser for cultural affairs, cultural secretary Kaniz Mowla and tourism secretary Fahmida Akhtar, among others, were present at the meeting.

In his address, the tourism minister emphasised the intrinsic link between tourism and culture, describing tourism as an inclusive industry that cannot thrive without the active involvement of the cultural sector.

He noted that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is committed to elevating the country’s tourism industry to new heights. Currently, the sector contributes only 2-3 per cent to the national GDP, but the government has set an ambitious target to raise this figure to 7-8 per cent.

During the discussions, the Deputy Minister for Culture proposed launching a promotional campaign at the country’s airports for international travellers to mark Nazrul Year. The tourism minister assured the meeting that appropriate initiatives would be taken in this regard.

In his closing remarks, the Culture Minister, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, underscored the richness of the nation’s heritage, which dates back thousands of years. He reiterated the government’s commitment to preserving this heritage and promoting it globally.

He also informed that the country currently has 554 archaeological sites, which will be inspected in phases by the Ministry’s Taskforce, following which development plans will be formulated.