Tourism development to focus on jobs, investment

Bangladesh should harness tourism as a major driver of employment, investment and inclusive economic development by expanding infrastructure, strengthening skills and attracting greater private-sector participation, said Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Samimuzzaman.

“Tourism is no longer merely a matter of leisure or entertainment. It is now a powerful driver of employment, investment, foreign exchange, entrepreneurship, regional development and inclusive economic growth,” he said.

The BPC chairman made the remarks at a press conference on Monday ahead of the 13th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF) 2026, which will be held at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka from September 17 to 19.

He said Bangladesh had significant scope to turn tourism into a stronger growth centre, but achieving that potential would require quality infrastructure, skilled human resources, digital promotion and increased investment through public-private partnerships.

According to figures cited by Samimuzzaman, tourism contributed 2.9% to Bangladesh’s GDP in 2024, while its contribution to total employment stood at 4.2%.

He said the government was working to raise tourism’s contribution to GDP to 8-9% in the coming years by improving tourism infrastructure and encouraging private investment and public-private partnerships.

“Tourism for jobs, tourism for investment and tourism for inclusive development should be our goal,” he said.

Samimuzzaman said tourism had a strong employment multiplier effect because tourist spending benefits a wide range of businesses and communities, including transport operators, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, travel agencies, local guides, handicraft producers, farmers, entertainment providers and small entrepreneurs.

He particularly highlighted the potential of tourism to create economic opportunities for young people, women, local communities and small entrepreneurs.

Infrastructure and investment

The BPC chairman said the corporation was working to develop tourism facilities and infrastructure at important destinations across the country.

He said a 154-room motel had recently been developed in Chattogram and brought into operation, while land development and acquisition had been completed for a five-storey hotel and training institute in Bagerhat and Khulna.

A tourism centre has also been developed at Parki in Chattogram and is expected to begin commercial operations soon, he said.

The corporation is also implementing tourism-centre projects in Hatia’s Nijhum Dwip and surrounding areas of Noakhali, while plans have been taken for tourism facilities in Panchagarh, Joypurhat and Tangail, among other locations.

Samimuzzaman said BPC was also looking to attract foreign investors through public-private partnership arrangements to develop the Hotel Shaibal area in Cox’s Bazar with a quality hotel and an international-standard training institute.

He stressed the need for greater private-sector involvement in developing tourism infrastructure, saying the government should facilitate investment, the private sector should invest, local communities should participate and tourists should receive quality experiences.

Skills development a priority

The BPC chairman placed particular emphasis on human-resource development, saying tourism was fundamentally a people-centred industry.

“However attractive a destination may be, it is not possible to satisfy international tourists without skilled, courteous and professional service personnel,” he said.

He said BPC had long been providing training for the tourism and hospitality sectors through its National Skills Training Institute, where courses are currently offered in 11 areas.

The corporation plans to introduce three more courses and expand tourism skills development through industry-academia partnerships, private-sector collaboration and international best practices, he said.

“World-class tourism destinations require world-class tourism professionals,” Samimuzzaman said.

Digital promotion, sustainable tourism

He said tourists now increasingly choose destinations based on Google searches, social media, online reviews, digital content, virtual experiences and professional recommendations.

Against this backdrop, BPC is modernising its promotional activities and making them more digitally focused to present Bangladesh more effectively to international markets.

“We do not want to limit Bangladesh’s tourism image to ‘Beautiful Bangladesh’. We want to present Bangladesh to the world as an authentic, sustainable and experience-rich destination,” he said.

Samimuzzaman also called for greater development of quality hotels and resorts, eco-tourism and entertainment facilities, convention centres, wellness and medical tourism, adventure tourism, heritage tourism and sports tourism.

He stressed that tourism expansion must be sustainable and should not damage the environment, biodiversity, local culture or heritage.

He said the government was considering tourism as an important instrument for economic growth, employment generation and regional development, with plans to integrate the country’s diverse tourism assets.

Bangladesh has around 1,498 tourism destinations, covering eco-tourism, adventure, religious, sports, cultural and heritage tourism, he said.

“Every region of Bangladesh has some form of tourism resource - hills, sea, rivers, haors, forests, wetlands, archaeological sites, religious heritage, folk culture, food, festivals and traditions. These should be developed into integrated tourism products,” he said.