Cultural tourism is an important tool for Bangladesh to showcase its rich cultural heritage and traditions. Some key cultural attractions for tourists include religious sites that demonstrate the religious diversity and harmony in Bangladesh, tribal communities with unique cultures and lifestyles, and numerous festivals celebrated throughout the year. Cultural tourism can provide significant economic benefits to Bangladesh through foreign exchange earnings, employment, and tax revenue. However, it also risks increasing income inequality and price levels if not managed properly.

1. Planning for Particular Sectors
and Groups

2. Md. Shaifullar Rabbi
BBA & MBA, Major inTourism & Hospitality Management
University of Dhaka
Coordinator & Lecturer
Dept. of Tourism & Hospitality Management
Daffodil Institute of IT
-NU
Presented By

3. Cultural Tourism and
Bangladesh
Cultural tourism is a tool of bringing people together
from different cultures. This interaction and ways of life
can signify gigantic opportunity to advance tolerance,
respect and mutual understanding. Cultural Tourism
brings peace and cooperation among nations, and builds
bridges among the people of different cultural from
different countries. While speaking to more than 60
tourism ministers from Muslim countries in Baku,
Azerbaijan in September 2006, Francesco Frangialli, the
then UNWTO secretary-general, called on world leaders

4. Cultural Attractions
Bangladesh is heir to a rich cultural legacy (Haque, 2003)
and traditions. History and legends are in timely
interwoven with the landmass together with its distinct
traditions and cultural traits (Rahman, 2004). The primeval
culture of Bangladesh, the customs of its people, the
traditions, religious values, etc. embodied the means for
cultural tourism. For this reason travelling to Bangladesh is
a journey through ancient cultures, magnificent traditions,
and modern civilization. Along with the traditions
Bangladesh is rich in dances, arts and music featuring both

5. Religious Attractions
Today, Bangladesh has got the status of containing the second
highest number of Muslim people (after Indonesia) in the world.
Out of the population in Bangladesh, about 86.6% are Muslims,
12.I% are Hindus, 0.6% are Buddhists, 0.4% are Christians and the
rest 0.3% are other tribes. People of all religions live here with full
freedom and perfect harmony. The easy relationships that appear
to prevail among the different religious groups and the
participation in each other’s religious festivals are pleasant aspects
of life in Bangladesh (Pannell Kerr Forster Associates, 1988).
Religious Tourism can attract lot of Muslim tourists from around
the world. People from different religions live in relative harmony
in Bangladesh. They have different cultures and different festival

6. Tribal Tourism
The colorful lifestyles of tribal can be an exceptional source of cultural
tourism offerings for the tourists. The tribal of Bangladesh have their
own unique lifestyle and distinctive nature of culture in their way of life.
They are encapsulated from modern civilization of the plain land. Tribal
people live in bamboo huts raised on platform or on tree-tops,
cultivate on the slopes of high hills, rear pigs, chickens and cattle;
smoke with queer looking like bamboo-made hukkah, and follow their
own age-old religion, culture, customs and traditions (Hossain, 1992).
Self reliance, primitiveness, and simplicity are the common features in
the way of life of the tribal people. With their distinctive cultural entities
the tribal people, who account for less than one percent of the total

7. Fair and Festival Attractions
The culture of Bangladesh is full of fair and festivals
which become an essential part in the life of people
in Bangladesh. These are the principal means of
enjoying pleasure, getting companion of others, and
exchanging greetings with each other. These
attractions include Bashanto Boron, Pahela
Baishakh, International Mother Language and
Martyrs’ Day, Independence Day, Victory Day, Shab-
e-Barat, Shab-e-Kadre, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-e-
Miladunnabi, Biswa Istima, Durga Puzza, Sharashwati
Puzza, Christmas Day, Buddha Purnima, etc. Festival

8. Pahela Falgun
The first day of spring is celebrated as the
Bashanto Baron in Bangladesh. On this day
the country is decorated with bashonti
color. Both male and female especially
students used to wear marigold and
tuberose, and clad in yellow, orange and
red sarees, and punjabis to greet the spring.

9. Pahela Baishakh
The first day of Bangla New Year, is
celebrated in a festive manner. It connects
all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious
and regional differences. On this very
special day of Bangali, they enjoy this
festival in a very special manner. Business
closes all dues and open new ‘Halkhata’.

10. Impact of Cultural
Tourism
For being competent in tourism industry, it is important to make the destination
unique and distinctive. The role of international tourism in generating economic
benefits has long been recognized in many developing countries (Jenkins, 1991;
WTO, 1994). Nowadays Government also widened their focus on economic
benefits to encompass environmental and societal concerns. The impact of cultural
tourism has twofold aspects. Firstly, it brings impacts on the economy and
secondly, on the social life of a country. In the 20th century’s competitive global
tourism market, culture and tourism were two of the major growth industries.
The recent OECD report on The Impact of Culture on Tourism (2009) noted,
cultural tourism accounted for almost 360 million international tourism trips in
2007, or 40% of global tourism. In value terms, the contribution of cultural tourism
is even greater, since cultural tourists are estimated to spend as much as one third
more on average than other tourists (Richards 2007). Foreign Exchange: The

11. GDP
Based on the data available, tourism’s contribution to worldwide
gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated at some 5%. For
advanced, diversified economies, the contribution of tourism to
GDP ranges from approximately 2% for countries where tourism
is a comparatively small sector, to over 10% for countries where
tourism is an important pillar of the economy (WTO, 2011). In
Australia cultural tourism accounted for $8.4 billion of total GDP
in 2000/01. This represented 1.3 per cent of Australia’s total GDP
and 27.7 per cent of tourism’s contribution to GDP when
averaged over the four years. According to the World Travel and
Tourism Council, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to
GDP is expected to be US$1,850.0 billion (2.8 percent of total

12. Employment
Tourism is a labor intensive industry and this feature has
the potential to create enormous employment
opportunities for the population of developing countries
(Ahmed and Josiam, 1996). It is estimated that tourism's
contribution to employment tends to be slightly higher
relatively and is estimated in the order of 6-7% of the
overall number of jobs worldwide (direct and indirect)
(http://unwto.org/en/content/why-tourism). In Australia
about 6.0 per cent of total persons in the economy in

13. Contribution to Government
Revenue
The government can receive revenues from the tourism
sector in the form of direct and indirect contribution. Direct
contributions are generated by taxes on incomes from
tourism employment and tourism businesses, and by direct
levies on tourists such as departure taxes. Indirect
Contributions are those originated from taxes and duties
levied on goods and services supplied to tourists. The
World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that travel and
tourism’s direct, indirect, and personal tax contribution
worldwide was over US$ 800 billion in 1998 - a figure it
expects to double by 2010. (Source: WTTC/Michigan State
University Tax Policy Center). ATA also reports that every

14. Social Impact
Cultural tourism gives the destination an identity; it helps foster a
sense of community pride. This pride is very much related to
economic prosperity and it is also an element in preserving and
enhancing national and local pride and spirit. Host country can
use this interaction as a tool for raising awareness about local
issues and needs. Since cultural tourism creates identity for a
country successful branding of local product, heritage,
achievement can enhance this identity positively to the visitor of
both local and international. Different cultural celebration,
heritage and other characteristics helps to build positive image
for a country. This positive image helps to preserve cultural and

15. Increase Price Level
An important negative impact of tourism is the
increase in the price level. Due to tourism
destination the land price of that region is very
high, increase in the land price increase the rent of
housing. Several tourism impact research studies
reflect similar scenario (Diagne, 2004; Archer,
Cooper and Ruhanen, 2005; Akama and Kieti,
2007). Tourism demands for basic services and

16. Increased Income Disparity
Harrison (1992) argues that benefits of tourism
development in the LDCs are mostly enjoyed by the local
elites and the majority of the population only receives
the minimal benefits. Because increase in the price level,
high land price, high rent reflects in the income of local
people. Leakages: Leakages in tourism occur when
revenues arising from tourism-related economic activities
in destination countries are not available for (re-
)investment or consumption of goods and services in the
same countries. A study of tourism ‘leakage’ in Thailand

17. HISTORICAL TOURISM CONCEPT
AND MEANING
Historical tourism refers to a kind of tourism, where the tour or
tour group focuses on the history; history of some place, people,
thing, or events. They go, see, study, discuss and experience
places where historical things occurred. The places will be a
portrayal of history of that country or the region and tells about
the past happenings. Tourists usually visit those places of
historical importance to know about the culture, tradition, past
happenings etc and get to know about the evolution and
development in culture.
This is an attempt to understand, the living environments and life

18. Top Nine Historic Places in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh might look like a relatively young nation, but it has a rich history which
offers you to satisfy your voyage on archaic sites. The colonial British rule and the
liberation war have made Bangladesh a must visit place for the expedition lovers to
witness some marvelous archaeological works of ancient time. Here is a platonic
journey through the top eight historical places in Bangladesh.
1. Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka
2. Kotila Mura in Comilla
3. The Liberation War Museum in Dhaka
4. Somapura Mahavira at Naogaon
5. Shalban Vihar at Comilla
6. Ahsan Manzil at Dhaka
7. The American Church in Dhaka
8. Mahasthangarh in Bogra
9. Kantanagar Tample

19. Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka
This famous historic place is situated
on the northeast side of Dhaka,
Bangladesh. This was built during the
Mughal rule, on seventeenth century.
Lalbagh fort is believed to be an
incomplete Mughal fort structure
which was started in 1678 AD by the
Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam
Shah. As the structure applies to the
fine architectural work of that period,
it has four main structures which are a
Diwan-i-Aam, a water tank in its
eastern side, the tomb of Bibi Pari and
the Lalbagh Fort Mosque. During the

20. Kotila Mura in Comilla
This is one of the sacred Buddhist
places and one of the fifth spots
amongst the Mainamati ruins. This is
believed to be done on 600 AD. Kotila
Mura is situated in Comilla,
Bangladesh.This old historic place is
situated on a flattened hillock and has
three structures of Buddhist stupas. The
three shrines are believed to be the
three jewels of Buddhism, the Dharma,
Sangha, and the Buddha. The only way
to the shrine is through the east, a
gateway which leads to a huge hall.
This authentic Buddhist structure was

21. The Liberation War Museum
in Dhaka
This is a place to visit when you want
to know about the struggle of the
mother nation and her children to get
independence from foreign military
rule or ‘Mukti Judho’. Though it is built
in 1971, it has got reorganization by
many National and international
archaeological surveys.
This museum is a two stories building
with six galleries in its credit. More
than 10,000 objects are displayed here,
which include rare photographs, media
coverage of that time, documents, and
materials used by the martyrs of the

22. Somapura Mahavira at
Naogaon
This place is also known as
‘Paharpur Mahavihar’ which is
known for its grandeur
monastery. This monastery was
built during the Pala period. This
is nominated as UNESCO World
Heritage. This monastery has a
top position in world history for
its polished and gigantic
architectural work. Each side of
the monastery measures 900ft in
length and is constructed of

23. Shalban Vihar at Comilla
This is one amongst the Buddhist
sites of the Mainamati ruins. It is read
that Mainamati had been a Buddhist
center between seventh and twelfth
century. This site was built during the
reign of Deva Dynasty, by Bhava
Deva, the fourth ruler. The authentic
color of the building is flame like and
was able to be the dwelling place of
115 monks together. It was previously
known as Shalban Rajar Bari, but after
the archaeological survey, the had
been known as a Buddhist
Monastery. When the excavation of

24. Ahsan Manzil at Dhaka
This is the heritage building of the
then jamindar of Jamalpur. It was built
during the late eighteenth century by
Sheik Enayet Ullah.It was built on a
huge area covering a summer house
for Sheik Enayet Ullah. The son of
Sheik Enayet Ullah sold this marvelous
property to the French traders. The
French got defeated and the English
took power of all the properties, once
reigned by the French. The old French
building was then reconstructed to
two stories building by Ahsanullah,
keeping similarity to the ‘Rangmahal’.

25. The American Church in
Dhaka
Armenian Apostolic Church of the
Holy Resurrection is a prestigious
architectural structure situated in old
Dhaka. It is an evidence of the
existence of American during the
seventeenth and eighteenth century.
The Americans came to trade in this
region. As jute and leather were
cheap here, they flourished their
trade and started with community
living. The church is rectangular in
shape with a huge arch gate in front.
Though the church remains closed
most of the time, it has got

26. Mahasthangarh in Bogra
It is the most ancient urban
archaeological structure of
Bangladesh, at the bank of river
Karatoya. There is evidence that
says this place existed during
the third century during the
reign of Pundravardhana. This
place is believed to be the
capital of Pundravardhana. The
fortified centre of the city is
rectangular in shape. There are
now several hillocks and
structural ruins inside the area.
Of these, the Jiat Kunda,

27. Kantanagar Temple
Kantanagar Temple, commonly known
as Kantaji Temple or Kantajew Temple at
Kantanagar, is a late-medieval Hindu
temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. The Kantajew
Temple is one of the most magnificent
religious edifices belonging to the 18th
century. The temple belongs to the popular
Hindu Kanta or Krishna and this is most
popular with the Radha-Krishna cult
(assemble of memorable love) in Bengal. This
beautiful temple is dedicated to Krishna and
his wife Rukmini Built by Maharaja Pran Nath,
its construction started in 1704 CE and ended
in the reign of his son Raja Ramnath in 1722

28. Heritage tourism
Historical or heritage tourism means traveling with the primary purpose of
exploring the history and heritage of a place. It may mean simple sightseeing
of renowned historical architecture, visiting local museums that document the
past through artifacts, art, and literary remains, or even something as quaint as
sampling authentic historical recipes in their place of origin.
People often combine their love of history with other tourist delights like
shopping, amusement park visits, and luxurious resort stays. So places that
have a rich heritage and have, at the same time, designed a fine tourist
infrastructure to cater to all categories of tourists get rated the highest in terms
of popularity as tourist destinations.
Take for an example Budapest – the city offers some marvelous delights
including architectural grandeur and historical baths that take one back in time
– and all this becomes all the more alluring when coupled with the fantastic
nightlife, of which its trademark ruin pubs are a prominent part.

29. UNESCO World Heritage Sites In
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is represented on the UNESCO list by
two religious sites and one of South Asia's most
biodiversity areas. Bangladesh, a nation in the Indian
sub-continent, with a population of 166 million
people, has two significant religious sites as well as a
biodiversity area that has been listed by UNESCO as
World Heritage Sites. Two tourist destinations, the
Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur and the
Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat have been listed as
cultural World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh. The

30. Historic Mosque City of
Bagerhat
The Mosque City in Bargehat is located where the River
Brahmaputra and Gangel meet. It was inscribed as a World
Heritage Site in 1985. The city was founded by a Turkish-born
Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century and was built using
bricks. Forbes categorizes the city as one out of the fifteen lost
cities of the world. The city is a tourist destination, and some of
its former structures include 360 mosques, mausoleums, roads,
bridges and other public buildings constructed from baked
bricks. However, the city was in ruins after the death of the
founder Ulukh Khan. Bagerhat Museum located next to sixty

32. Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at
Paharpur
This World Heritage Sites, inscribed in 1985 by UNESCO, is
located in the southwest of the country and was built by
Dharmapala Vikramshila between 770-810AD as a monastery. At
the base, are sixty stone sculptures that testify to the belief
system of Hinduism and it is the largest Buddhist monastery
constructed at the time. It has unique features such as the
outside walls decorated with ornamental terracotta, influenced
by Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism art. The area is under the
government protection and managed by the local office. The
department of archaeology deals with the management and

34. Sundarbans: The Abode of the Royal
Bengal Tigers
The Sundarbans is a mangrove forest, which is approximately 140,000
hectares on the delta of Ganges and Meghna rivers in Bengal Bay. It was
inscribed in 1987 as a natural world heritage site by UNESCO. It has unique
features such as mudflats and tidal waterways. The Sundarban is located to
the southwest of Bangladesh and has been recognized internationally for
having mangrove flora and fauna on both land and water. It has around 260
different species of birds, Bengal Tiger; the only family of cats that is almost
instinct, and the famous Indian python.
The Sunderbans species attract tourists around the world. They come to
carry out scientific research as well as observe the diverse species of both
plants and animals. Conservation efforts are implemented to keep the
Sundarbans safe from illegal hunting and other human activities like

36. Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers
to recreation engaged in out of doors, most commonly in natural
settings. The activities themselves — such
as fishing, hunting, backpacking, and horseback riding —
characteristically determine where they are practiced. They are
pursued variously for enjoyment, exercise, challenge, camaraderie,
spiritual renewal, and an opportunity to partake in nature. Though
the activities are inherently lean to sports they nonetheless do not
all demand that a participant be an athlete,
and competition generally is less stressed than in individual or
team sports organized into opposing squads in pursuit of a trophy
or championship. When the activity involves exceptional

37. Culinary Tourism
Culinary tourism or food tourism is the exploration of food as the purpose of tourism. It
is now considered a vital component of the tourism experience. Dining out is common
among tourists and "food is believed to rank alongside climate, accommodation,
and scenery" in importance to tourists. Culinary or food tourism is the pursuit of unique
and memorable eating and drinking experiences, both near and far. Culinary tourism
differs from agritourism in that culinary tourism is considered a subset of cultural
tourism (cuisine is a manifestation of culture) whereas agritourism is considered a subset
of rural tourism, but culinary tourism and agritourism are inextricably linked, as the seeds
of cuisine can be found in agriculture. Culinary/food tourism is not limited
to gourmet food. Food tourism can be considered a subcategory of experiential travel.
Food tourism includes activities such as:
• Cooking classes
• Food tours
• Wine, beer and food festivals

38. Group Tour
A travel package for an assembly of travelers that has
a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation.
Group tours are usually prearranged, prepaid, and
include transportation, lodging, dining, and
attraction admissions. See also escorted group tour.

39. 9 Benefits of Travelling in a
Tour Group
1. Someone to show you the way: When you’re travelling solo, you’re the one who’s responsible for finding accommodation, getting
there, finding food and drink and making sure you get the best from your destination. On tour, your guide will tell you where you’re
going each morning, probably take you there, and a good one will be able to give you facts about everything you see along the
way too.
2. Instant friends: The fact that there will be all kinds of different people on your trip, who’ve also joined to make new friends, means
it’s so much easier to get chatting to people.
3. Tried and tested best of a destination: Whichever tour company you go with, they’ll have utilized years of tried and tested
research to put together the best itinerary.
4. Safety if anything should go wrong: Join a tour group and you’ll always have a tour leader to advice if things go wrong.
This is just a safety net though; you’re not five, and they’re not your parent, but at least you have the reassurance that someone’s
got your back if it should all go wrong.
5. A good way to organize group travel: I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before, but a few people I met on the group tours
had come with friends. They’d wanted to go on holiday with their mates but no one had really wanted to sort it out or be
responsible for collecting and spending the money.
6. Reassurance for your parents: If your parents are worried about you going out into the big wide world by yourself, joining a tour
group, at least to start your trip, is a great way to give them some reassurance that you’re not going to be alone.
7. Group discounts: When you travel in a group your leader can arrange group discounts on activities, food and drinks. Companies
will be happy to offer cheaper prices as there are so many of you.
8. See things you wouldn’t be able to usually: As part of a tour your transport can sometimes access areas you wouldn’t be able to
yourself. This is especially true when it comes to those hard to reach destinations like Africa. You’ll be taken to projects you would
never have heard of, and have a chance to be introduced to locals like you wouldn’t have if you were travelling by yourself.
9. Have someone for the photos: All those Instagram selfies are getting tiring for your friends, know. You need to get some friends

40. Ethnic Tourism
In the absence of a strict definition of ethnic tourism, there
is need to clarify the individual words of that definition. At first
attention is called to the "tourist character" of a trip. These are the
journeys falling within the scope of tourism, but they not include
commercial activity and forced eviction to their own country.
Traveling within the country such as the trip to visit family also
cannot be called "ethnic" tourism. Such trips do not change the
ethnic environment in the country. As for the term "origin" it is
dealing with people who, although not they come from places
visited, but have taken the trip because of a desire to meet with
the place of origin of their ancestors. An important term is
"identity". Thanks to him we can put in the context of ethnic

41. Diaspora, as a form of ethnic
tourism
The starting point for reflection on contemporary sentimental
tourism (ethnic tourism) is the phenomenon of Diaspora, that is,
the dispersion of the whole nations abroad. Diaspora has two
sources; the first approach is the emigration from the home
country and in the second form of ethnic communities as a result
of changes in state borders. This phenomenon is accompanied by
the formation of the ethnic groups, understood as a social group,
which has a common origin and culture.
An important role in the sentimental journeys undertaken by the
ethnic groups plays a sense of common cultural heritage. Tourists
usually those seeking contact with their country of origin, country
home, country of birth of their ancestors. This kind of tourism is

42. Accessible Tourism or Disable
Tourism
Accessible tourism is the ongoing Endeavour to ensure tourist destinations,
products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical
limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned
tourist locations. The term has been defined by Darcy and Dickson (2009, p34) as:
Accessible tourism enables people with access requirements, including mobility,
vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently
and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism
products, services and environments. This definition is inclusive of all people
including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and
seniors. According to ENAT, the European Network for Accessible Tourism,
accessible tourism includes:
• Barrier-free destinations: infrastructure and facilities
• Transport: by air, land and sea, suitable for all users
• High quality services: delivered by trained staff

43. Trends and Societal Changes that
have led to the Development of
Youth Tourism
‘’Youth Tourists are trend setters and pioneers in exploring tourism frontiers and opening new
markets’’ (Wilkening 2010).
Loans: the availability of loans that youth now have creates easy access to borrowed money which they
may invest into travelling (Khosphpakyents & Vidiskcheva n.d).
Visas: countries and worldwide bureaucracy have become more welcoming of foreigners. Therefore,
travellers are able to obtain visas fairly easily to travel to foreign countries (Khosphpakyents &
Vidiskcheva n.d).
Internet: internet has now become part of everyday life. As a result of this accessibility to technology,
young travellers are able to use the internet to book and plan their own trips (Khosphpakyents &
Vidiskcheva n.d).
Social media: marketing and communication amongst travellers is evident via social media. Youth tourists
share their experiences through a wide of audiences on their social networks; communicating, promoting
and influencing (Morrissey 2012).
Publications: guidebooks (such as Lonely Planet) and magazines (such as backpacking editions), provide
word of mouth, advice and guidance to forthcoming tourists (Clarke 2004).
• Resilience: youth tourists tend to be more resilient to economic downturns and are less risk
adverse than mainstream travellers (Wilkening 2010). Therefore, any tourism market that chooses
to ignore this niche market will be at a ‘’very severe competitive disadvantage’’ (Morrissey 2012).