Opportunities of Developing Tourism Industry in Bangladesh: A Case Study on Sylhet

Abstract

Tourism is extremely diverse and labour-intensive industry creating thousands of jobs in various sectors of a country. In modern times, tourism is not only confined to entertainment, or travel pleasure, but also a key to the development of a country. Reports from various global tourism organizations on tourism statistics highlight its notable contribution to the world economy. According to the WTTC data, tourism accounts for approximately 10.2% of world’s total GDP in 2016. Hence, the importance of tourism in the world economy is now universally acknowledged. Realizing the prospects of tourism in Bangladesh, this study particularly attempts to generate a clear understanding about the opportunities of developing tourism industry in Sylhet. Sylhet, located in the north-eastern part of Bangladesh, is prevalently known as “The land of two leaves and a bud”. Apart from the picturesque tea gardens, the natural beauty, the innumerable extensive haors, and water bodies of Sylhet definitely attract a tourist. In addition, there are numerous archaeological and historical monuments which have a long tradition from cultural point of view. Despite the huge potential with reference to international standard beautiful luxury hotels and resorts and lots of eye-catching natural attractions, tourism industry in this region fails to attract both the domestic and foreign tourists as well as the government and policy makers. That’s why, the study was conducted to examine the opportunities and potentials behind the development of tourism industry in Sylhet. In this study, attempts have been made: (i) to illustrate the current scenario of tourism industry in Sylhet, (ii) to measure the level of tourists’ satisfaction on tourism products and services of Sylhet, (iii) to examine the safety perception of tourists and stakeholders, and (iv) to advise on issues that should be given the priority for the development of tourism industry in Sylhet. To achieve the above-mentioned objectives of the study, data were collected from 368 native tourists and 20 foreign tourists using a structured questionnaire survey. The disproportionate stratified sampling procedure was used when collecting the primary data. Habigonj district was excluded from this study as this region has yet not become so much popular among tourists. To analyze the data, conventional statistical tools such as frequency distribution, percentage, and weighted average was used. Regarding the opportunity, ‘what we do not have’ a question proceeds. The tourism industry is centred on three facets, i.e. service, facility and attraction. Given that, the present study considers five indicators as relevant and important for tourism industry development in Sylhet and these are: attraction, tourism infrastructure, tourists’ satisfaction, role of tourism stakeholders and safety and security issues. Using observation, interviews with tourism experts and a structured questionnaire survey, the study measures the tourists’ level of contentment and safety perception using 5-point Likert scale. According to the results of this study, Sylhet is in a good position only in terms of natural beauty but there is lack of facility and services. In fact, a great majority of tourists were dissatisfied with such facilities as inadequate tourist information services, dilapidated road conditions together with congested bus fleet and uncontrolled vehicle fare, lack of basic infrastructural facilities in the destination, recreational facilities, syndicate in vehicle fare, and shopping facilities. Furthermore, most of the tour operators have been seen offering lucrative packages for outbound tourism. In the course of the study, it has been noticed that Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, a reflection of the dream of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s visionary leadership, provides tourists facilities only through building hotels, motels, restaurants etc. which alone cannot persuade tourists to stay more at a destination. The study found that the majority of the tourists spend maximum one day in a destination due to lack of entertainment facilities and outdoor activities. Hence, in addition to building hotels, motels, restaurants, BPC can offer recreational facilities as well as well-trained workforces to guide the tourists. Besides, it is upsetting that the dependence of local people on natural resources for their livelihood is a threat to the development of the tourism industry in Sylhet. In this context, “Community based Tourism” will play a positive role in creating employment opportunities for the local community. With regard to safety perceptions of tourists and stakeholders, domestic tourists suffer from insecurity to some extent because of the run-down conditions of road and poor quality of transportation system. Additionally, few tourists feel somewhat insecure at night regardless of being alone or in a group. The results obtained pertaining to the role of stakeholders indicate that the role of government in tourism development seems to be disappointing because of the ignorance and lack of foresight of the government together with adequate support. Additionally, hiring bureaucrats inexperienced about tourism in the top echelons of government-run tourism institutions is also an obstacle to the smooth development of this industry. Properly planned tourism development is challenging as there exists a considerable lack of inter-ministerial coordination among the stakeholders. Therefore, avoiding the long-standing conventional bureaucratic mentality, experienced subject matter experts should be given the responsibility in the top positions in government-run tourism institutions for the desired and planned development of tourism. In light of the findings and observations of this research, a set of recommendations have been put forward that can help the concerned authorities in taking steps to develop the tourism industry in Sylhet. Some key recommendations are:  Intensive investment to ensure suitable infrastructural facilities  Increase attention on sustainability issues  Target the right market segment(s) and adopt strategies  Developing a separate tourism database  Community participation  Take proactive measures to prevent exploitation by opportunistic people The outcome of this empirical research will help government policy planners and private stakeholders to formulate and implement effective strategies for the development of tourism industry in Sylhet.