The government is going to start a Tk 61-crore international tourism promotional campaign 'Visit Bangladesh' from November targeting to increase numbers of foreign tourists from present four lakh to one million.
'We have taken yearlong international campaign on tourism promotion to attract more foreign tourists here,' civil aviation and tourism minister GM Quader told the news agency on Friday.
He said they had set a target of receiving one million foreign tourists during the campaign and expecting more than two million afterwards.
As per the decision of a meeting of Bangladesh Tourism Board chaired by the tourism minister last week at the secretariat, BTB, the national tourism organisation of the country will hold the 'grand celebration programme' of the 'Visit Bangladesh' campaign in November next.
The ministry is expecting many foreign dignitaries and international tour operators at the grand celebration programme, to be inaugurated by prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Taleb Rifai and tourism ministers of several countries including Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, France and Indonesia have already shown their interest to join at the gala programme, an official of BTB said.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina declared the year 2011 as the tourism year and the tourism ministry planned to launch 'Visit Bangladesh 2011' campaign marking the year.
'The allocation of more than Tk 60 crore for promotion of tourism showed commitment of the present government to make country's tourism sector as one of the major source of foreign exchange earning,' GM Quader said.
The country has lots of tourist tempting treasures in natural beauty, culture, heritage and archaeological aspects, he said, adding, 'But we never conducted such huge international promotional campaign to attract travellers.'
However, finance ministry approved Tk 61 crore against the demand of civil aviation and tourism ministry's Tk 260 crore promotional programme.
'The finance ministry told us to start the campaign with this initial amount and they would disburse more later on,' the minister said.
The government has planned to continue the campaign until 2014, if the BTB can conduct tourism promotion successfully in the first year, BTB sources said.
The tourism board has already chalked out lots of events round the year blending with traditional, cultural, tribal and religious festivals, it said.
During the campaign country's tourism promotional video documentaries and television commercials will be aired through world's many famous television channels across the globe, the source said.
The campaign also includes staging road shows and Bangladesh week in different countries as well as inviting foreign renowned international travel writers and journalists to visit Bangladesh.
Source : New Age
