PM Sheikh Hasina for promotion of tourism based on Buddhist culture and tradition

The Prime Minister also hoped that respected delegates of the conference would be able to draw a roadmap for the development and promotion of tourism industry in the region and they would come forward with an attitude of mutual cooperation to execute the roadmap.

"I firmly believe that you would portray Bangladesh tourism in different international forums as you would pursue a new path of mutual cooperation," she said while opening the conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here this morning.

The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has oarganized the two-day conference titled "Developing Sustainable and Inclusive Buddhist Heritage and Pilgrimage Circuits in South Asia's Buddhist Heartland".

The major objective of the conference is to prepare an action-based roadmap for the planning, development and marketing of sustainable and inclusive cross-border Buddhist tourism circuits and routes in South Asia after consultations among globally reputed Buddhist tourism experts and local tourism stakeholders.

The conference will also help build a platform of Buddhists with networking of tourism players of regional countries, especially among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, organizers said.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon presided over the inaugural function, while Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Muhammad Faruq Khan and UNWTO Secretary General Dr Taleb Rifai spoke as the special guests.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Khorshed Alam Chowdhury delivered the welcome address.

Ministers, parliament members, diplomats and high officials were present at the inaugural function of the conference.

Tourism ministers, high-ranking government officials, experts, academicians and other stakeholders from 13 Buddhist populated countries -- China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka and host Bangladesh are participating in the event.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is a country with enormous potentials for tourism. "Our mind-blowing scenic beauty, cultural heritage, archeological remains, artefacts, rich civilisation, especially the warmth in our people has the strength to attract tourists in our country."

The Prime Minister said this country has all the treasures to emerge as a new tourist destination on the world map.

She said serenity of nature, art and culture, anthropological past, vestiges of evolving civilisation, and moreover, hospitality of the Bengali nation can easily attract tourists from all over the world.

"I find the entire country as a vast terrain full of tourist attractions. The bounties of six seasons, wide expanse of alluvial plains, waters apes, hillocks and valleys, villages under the canopy of trees and shrubs of this eternal land can amaze anyone," she said.

Spelling out her government's steps for the development of the tourism industry, the Prime Minister said the sector has started playing an important role again in the overall socioeconomic uplift of the country thanks to well-thought-out plans and programmes by the present administration.

"I believe that this two-day international conference is an outcome of development and progress of the country's tourism industry," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has framed the National Tourism Policy-2010 for overall development of the tourism industry and establishing Bangladesh as a "tourist destination" in the world.

Under the tourism act, she said, Bangladesh Tourism Board has been constituted as the national tourism organization.

The Prime Minister said the government has already cut import duty remarkably on some heads for the tourism-related sector, while duty waiver is being offered on the import of equipment and accessories for international standard hotels.

She said the present government has also taken a time-befitting decision like introduction of on-arrival visa for visitors of more than 60 countries and launched community-based tourism for the socioeconomic uplift of local community by involving them in tourism industry.

The Prime Minister said her government has established Tourist Police to ensure security for travellers, while the work on setting up Exclusive Tourist Zone on 1028 acres of land at Sabrang in Cox's Bazar is progressing fast. "The foreign investors have been invited to develop the tourist zone," she said.

She said the activities for incorporating the issue in the water transport protocol with India to include Bangladesh in the international or regional river tourism are under process. Steps have already been taken to incorporate Bangladesh in the international cruise, she said.

Pointing out the recently-signed four-nation motor vehicle agreement involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, Sheikh Hasina said the deal will help boost inter-state tourism flourishing the tourism industry in this region.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has taken a decision to celebrate 2016 as the tourism year or "Visit Bangladesh Year-2016" for further strengthening the campaign and marketing of the tourism industry.

"We have given utmost priority to publicity and marketing of the tourism industry side by side with its development, while steps have already been taken to project Bangladesh's tourism attractions abroad, she said, adding Bangladesh Tourism Board has been working to this end to further brighten the country's image.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh is very active in developing bilateral and multilateral relations under different international and regional forums including UNWTO and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

"Our government is putting in untiring efforts to introduce Bangladesh as a land of tourism by building up this relationship," she said.

Wishing the success of the two-day conference, Sheikh Hasina said the conference would help develop and promote historically-important Buddhist establishments, archeological relics and heritage sites as tourist attractions.

"I hope it will also relate Bangladesh to the Buddhist circuit of South Asia and the Asia-Pacific regions," she said.

Later, the Prime Minister visited the souvenir corner set up at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on the occasion of the conference.