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Foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Monday laid special emphasis on simplifying the visa procedure for foreign tourists as part of a broader strategy to enhance the country’s tourism sector.

‘The key is to ease the visa system and make it fully online. Waiving visa fees would further attract more foreign tourists in Bangladesh,’ he said.

The adviser was speaking at a seminar on ‘Tourism for attaining SDGs: Challenges and prospects for Bangladesh,’ organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies in Dhaka.

Touhid emphasised the need for developing an online system that would allow foreigners to easily obtain visas for Bangladesh. There is lot to do … we need a coordinated effort to advance tourism development.’

The adviser said that political will and commitment from the private sector were needed to advance the tourism contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.    

The seminar featured a range of high-level participants, including civil aviation and tourism secretary Nasreen Jahan, who attended it as special guest.

Nasreen Jahan outlined her ministry’s plans to implement short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategies to bolster the tourism industry.

‘As an immediate priority, we are focusing on ensuring the safety and security of both domestic and international tourists nationwide, she stated.

‘A decision has been made to form a committee tasked with identifying the necessary short-term measures to strengthen the sector,’ she added.

Executive director of tourism research development Abu Sufian presented the keynote speech, which was followed by panel discussants, including BIISS senior research fellow Sufia Khanom, DIG tourist police Md Abu Kalam Siddique and FBCI’s director in-charge Munal Mahbub.

Panellists and participants underscored Bangladesh’s rich tourism potential, citing its forests, beaches, water bodies, hills, wildlife, indigenous cultures, historical and archaeological sites, cultural heritage, folklore, handicrafts, art, and festivals.

They, however, said that despite recognising tourism as a key sector for national development, Bangladesh faced significant challenges.

They identified inadequate infrastructure, security concerns, poor communication networks, lack of sufficient accommodation options such as hotels, motels and lack of proper promotion and marketing as major barriers to sustainable growth.

Addressing these issues, the speakers emphasised the need for innovative and strategic actions. They highlighted that infrastructure improvements and environmental protection were essential for transforming tourism into a significant contributor to Bangladesh’s GDP, in line with the nation’s pursuit of the SDGs.

Bangladesh government has already taken steps to promote sustainable tourism development by establishing three tourism zones, improving facilities at key tourist sites and implementing various policy measures.

Nonetheless, the participants said that the sector required more comprehensive strategies to overcome existing challenges.

To revitalise the tourism sector, the speakers called for a thorough review of public policies and strategic frameworks.

They highlighted the necessity of government initiatives to address infrastructure gaps, enhance safety measures and develop transportation networks.

These steps were crucial to unlocking the full potential of tourism as a driver of sustainable development in Bangladesh, they observed.

They emphasised the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure the long-term growth and sustainability of the tourism industry.

BIIS chairman ambassador AFM Gousal Azam Sarker chaired the seminar while its director general major general Iftekhar Anis delivered welcome speech.

Senior officials from various ministries, diplomatic missions, media, academia, and international organisations shared their ideas and placed a set of recommendations at the event.