PM calls for promotion of Buddhist tourism [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

PM calls for promotion of Buddhist tourism

Local October 28, 2015

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday inaugurated an international conference on Buddhist circuit, the first of its kind in the world, calling upon all to work together for the promotion of tourism based on Buddhist culture and traditions.
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 the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.
The civil aviation and tourism ministry in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has organised 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, organisers said.
Civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon presided over the inaugural function, while UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai spoke as the special guest.
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.
Hasina said Bangladesh is a country with enormous potentials for tourism. ‘Our mind-blowing scenic beauty, cultural heritage, archaeological 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.
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 1,028 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, Hasina said the deal will help boost inter-state tourism flourishing the tourism industry in this region.
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.
‘Our government is putting in untiring efforts to introduce Bangladesh as a land of tourism by building up this relationship,’ she said.