Sayed.doc

Premier University
B.B.A
Submitted to :
Lecturer Mrs.Anindita Chakraborty
Course Title: International Business
Assignment Subject: Prospects of Tourism Marketing in Bangladesh
Semester : 7th Batch : 22th Section “A”
No ID Name
1 1022114422 Abdullah Al Mamun Noman
2 1022114409 MD. Shamimur Rahman
3 1022114408 Abdullah –Al- Sayed
4 1022114604 Iqbal Khan
5 1022114474 Md. Alamgir

Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Bangladesh – at a glance
2.1. Geography
2.2. Climate
2.3. History
2.4. Population
2.5. National economy
2.6. Travel advice for Bangladesh
3. Tourist destinations
3.1. The four main tourist divisions
3.2. The two secondary tourist divisions
3.3. Status for tourist attractions
3.4. Potential
4. Target groups
4.1. Inbound tourists
4.2. The local middle and high class
4.3. The expatriate community
4.4. Future tourist demand
4.5. Potential
5. The upcoming tourist industry
5.1. Transportation
5.2. Accommodation, restaurants and night life
5.3. Tour operators
5.4. How is Bangladesh sold
5.5. The future Bangladeshi tourist supply
5.6. The potential of the tourism industry
6. Executive summary
7. Reference
8. Appendix
8.1. Tourist arrivals (in thousands)
8.2. Tourism revenue (in millions US$)
8.3. Players in the local tourism business
8.4. Prices in Bangladesh
8.5. SWOT analysis of the Bangladeshi tourism sector
8.5.1. Strengths
8.5.2. Weaknesses
8.5.3. Opportunities
8.5.4. Threats

1. Introduction
The country of Bangladesh is most known internationally through newspaper headlines for its
poor population, corruption and several natural disasters. These problems are real and their side
effects have a fundamental impact on the society.Reality however is not as devastating as
indicated by the image of the country since the national economy is improving, population
growth has slowed down, poverty seems to be abating, and a nationwide nature warning system
functions effectively. Further more Bangladesh is nowadays standing at a po itical crossroad as a
temporary government since October 2006 has introduced reforms to eliminate corruption and
public inefficiency. This paper is written by Majbritt Thomsen, Danish MA in Tourism living in
Bangladesh since October 2007, for the Danish Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The
photomaterial illustrating life in Bangladesh is provided by Emile Mahabub, Majbritt Thomsen
and Casper Magnussen. The subject matter for this paper provides an introduction to the
Bangladeshi tourist sector with a primary focus on its general status and development potential.
It is specifically hoped that this paper will increase the interest of the Danish tourism business in
Bangladesh as well as draw the attention to the development possibilities through the DANIDA
B2B programme.
4
2. Bangladesh – at a glance
2.1. Geography
Bangladesh is located in the tropics in South Asia and has a total area of 147,570 sq. km, which
is about three times the size of Denmark. It shares its borders with India on the west and north
and Myanmar (Burma) on the east. On the south, 66,400 kilometres of coastline merge into the
Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh is a part of the Bengal basin which is one of the most seismically
active zones of the world. However, no major earthquake has occurred in Bangladesh since
1950.1 Topographically, the country is almost entirely a fertile alluvial plain formed by the two
main rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra and their hundreds of tributaries. 1 The Sustainable
Development Networking Programme (SDNP) Hills rise above the plain only in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts in the far southeast and the Sylhet division in the northeast. The world’s largest
littoral mangrove belt, The Sundarbans, covers an area of nearly 3600 sq km in the south western
part of Bangladesh and another 2400 sq km in east India. About 10 % of Bangladesh is still
forested. Half of the forest is in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a quarter in the Sundarbans, and the
rest scattered in small pockets throughout the country. The country is divided in the following six
divisions: Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chittagong, Khulna, Dhaka and Barisal Division, all named after
their respective capitals. The capital city, Dhaka, with over 10 million citizens (2001) is located
in the central part of the country.
2.2. Climate
Bangladesh has a subtropical and tropical climate with three main seasons: the 'wet' season from
late May to early October; the 'cold' season from mid-October to the end of February; and the
'hot' season from mid-March to mid- May. Days average 25 °C in January, 35 °C in April and
linger around the 30°C mark for most of the year. Annual rainfall varies from 1000 mm in the
west to 5000 mm in the north. 75 % of the annual rainfall occurs between June and September, in
this period normally humidity is between 90 % and 95 %. Eighty percent of Bangladesh is less
than 1.5 metres above sea level and every year during the monsoon season the rivers flood half
the country to a depth of 30 cm.The floods, which last for several months, have the
environmental benefit of bringing fertile silt, but cause great disruption. The best season for
travelling in Bangladesh is between October and February. Early March can still be pleasant, but

by April the humidity increases and lethal hailstorms aren’t uncommon. On average, the country
gets hit by one major cyclone every three years. The worst times for cyclones are May to June
and October to November.
2.3. History~
Through different invasions, the area of Bangladesh was influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism and
Muslim until the 17th century. The Portuguese, Dutch, British and French then tussled for
decades for influence over the subcontinent; the British East India Company prevailed. At the
end of the European colonialism the British divided their Indian colony on religious grounds.
India was dominated by the Hindu population, and Muslims dominated East and West Pakistan
(now Bangladesh and Pakistan).7
The two Muslim regions had little in common as they were separated by more than 1500 km of
Indian Territory and spoke two different languages. In 1971 Bangladesh, literally ’land of the
Bangla speakers’, emerged as an independent and sovereign country following a destructive and
violent nine-month liberation war. Numerous military coups followed but in the 1990s the
establishment of a civil government brought in political stabilization as well as a comprehensive
corruption in the private, public and political sector. Bangladesh has developed into a democratic
Muslim state. Politically and economically the country is orientated to the western society while
as the same time attention is given to the religious relationship to other Muslim countries,
especially in the Middle East. Furthermore a linguistic, cultural and historical relationship exists
between the 230 million Bangla speakers in the world, living primary in Bangladesh and India.2
Since January 2007 Bangladesh has been in a state of emergency, as the legitimate temporary
government has suspended certain fundamental rights to fight corruption 2 Banglapedia (2006)
and other crimes. The political situation is referred to as a ‘window of opportunity’ and the
government has announced elections in late 2008.
2.4. Population
The Bangladeshi population is relatively homogeneous. The national language, Bangla, is spoken
by over 98 % of the population, while other ethnic groups, including various tribal groups, make
up the remaining 2 percent. 8
Religion also plays an important role in the society,Muslims make up about 83%, and Hindus 16
%, Buddhist and Christian are religious minorities. Bangladesh is one of the most densely
populated countries in the world with its population of over 140 million. It is a relatively young
population, as nearly 60 percent are under the age of 25 and only 3 percent 65 or older. Average
birth rate is around three, compared to seven in the 1970s, and life expectancy at birth is 61
years. Almost two-thirds of the population is illiterate. English is, except in Dhaka, little spoken
and understood in the towns and hardly at all up-country. The country is also one of the poorest
in the world. GNI pr. capita in 2006 was only 480 USD3 and a huge inequality gulf exists in the
society. The poorest 40 percent of the population are living below the poverty line controlling
just 20.7 percent of the wealth. Meanwhile the wealthiest 20 percent of the population control
42.8 percent of the wealth.4 A small growing middle class accounts for 9 percent of the
population, or 13 million people. In Pakistan and India the middle class are estimated to a total of
18 percent and 30 percent, respectively.5 Urban population is growing rapidly especially in
Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi. Bangladesh was almost completely a rural-agrarian
country until 1951 with only 4 percent living in urban areas. level of urbanization was 23 % and
by 2025 this level is estimated to reach 40%6.

2.5. National economy
For several years the Bangladeshi GNP has shown a 5-6 pct. growth, but the economy, including
the financial sector, is still facing important challenges. The country is heavily dependent on
imported technologies; further more proper planning is required for its effective transfer through
acquisition, assimilation and adoption.7 The agriculture and labour- intensive manufacturing are
the two major pillars of the national economy. Major exports are garments, jute and jute goods,
tea, leather and leather products, frozen fish, and seafood. The structure of the economy however
has changed gradually. Between 1970 and 1999 the agricultural contribution to the GNP declined
from 55 to 31.6 percent, while the production of manufactured goods increased from 9 to 19.3
percent.
An important reason for this change was a political and social stability introduced in the 1990s
which increased the overseas competitiveness of the local industries as well as attracted foreign
aid, political representation and foreign investments. Permanently present in the country are 40
Foreign Representations and Embassies, 93 International Organizations/NGO, and 33 Business
Associations/Consultants Multinationals10. Latest sources (2003-2004) show that Bangladesh
had a total of 127 Foreign Investments Registrations, shared equally between Developed and
Developing Economies. Foreign aid was the equivalent of 6.7 US$ pr. capita in 2004.11
Bangladesh is a pioneer in the world of Microcredit with one of the largest number of
microfinance institutions and highest penetration rates in the world. Microcredit pioneer and
founder of Grameen Bank, Bengali Muhammad Yunus, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. His
innovative banking program has for over 30 years provided poor people with small loans they
use to launch businesses and lift their families out of poverty. 10 DAWC ‘Yellow Pages’ (2005)
11 Workpremit.com (2007) Tourism has since the 1990s been a small but rapidly growing sector
of the economy.12 In 2007 the employment in the Bangladeshi Travel & Tourism Industry was
estimated at 752.000 jobs or 1.2% of total employment. The industry was expected to contribute
1.5% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2007 or US$ 998.2 million.11
2.6. Travel advice for Bangladesh
Citizens of all countries need visa to enter Bangladesh. General advice is to obtain the visa in the
home country, although it can also be attained on arrival and in a few embassies and consulates
in neighboring countries. Local laws reflect the fact that Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim
country. Furthermore centuries of isolation, even when foreign powers ruled, have produced
people, customers and values that are typical Bengali in nature. Bangladeshis are generally
hospitable and exceedingly helpful. Anything unusual is a crowd magnet, be it a road accident, a
street demonstration or a foreigner. Travellers should respect local traditions, customs, laws and
religions at all times and be aware of their actions to ensure that they do not offend other cultures
or religious beliefs. Likewise foreigners are advised to travel responsibly, being sensitive to their
impact on the local environment and society. Safety and security issues for travellers according
to several embassies15 are; Terrorism threats and attacks cannot be ruled out; Demonstrations
are often held at short notice and have the potential to become violent; and the current political
state of emergency. 15 Embassy Web-pages of England, Sweden, America, Norway and
Denmark has been consulted in February 2006.Documented crime against expats and tourists
include armed robbery, pick pocketing, abduction for ransom and officials’ abuse of authority.
Travel between towns after dark, by train, bus or ferry, is generally risky because of banditry.
Further more road network condition and safety is poor; and ferries are often dangerously
overcrowded. Travellers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Chittagong Division) are required to
register with local authorities, stay in the main towns and travel on the main roads. The safety

situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is pointed out by embassies as constantly changing due to
violent disputes between rival tribal groups, settlers and the military. Historically, crime rates in
Bangladesh have traditionally been low compared to other areas of the world. The crime
situation in Dhaka and Chittagong is however worsening and there are increasing reports of
crimes involving weapons. Foreigners have not been especially targeted. One recent security
advice for foreigners in Dhaka estimates that “Dhaka is a safe place, when you know how to play
by its rules”.
As to the safety situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts a peace accord was signed in 1997, after
two decades of local resistance and military repression.18 All problems are not solved but both
local and foreigners are now travelling to several destinations in the area. General travelling
advice for Bangladesh is therefore to be well informed of world events and local developments
as well as avoid potential dangerous situations like travelling alone (especially as single
females)19, at night and by public transportation.
3. Tourist destinations
In terms of existing tourist products, both inbound and home market, Rajshahi, Sylhet,
Chittagong and Khulna Division are the main tourist divisions.20
3.1. The four main tourist divisions
The Rajshahi Division is overwhelmingly agricultural, with no large cities. In the northern part
of this division the Himalayan Mountains can be seen on clear days. The region offers remote
peaceful towns and a variety of historical monuments, including mosques, Hindu temples and
British-era buildings. Best known, and nominated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the ruins
of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur. According to UNESCO this archaeological site is
undoubtedly the most spectacular pre-Islamic monumental complex in the south of the
Himalayan region. Three other historical sites are on the UNESCO Tentative list:
Mahasthangarh, the oldest known city in Bangladesh, Halud Vihara, a Buddhist 20 Primary
source Lonely Planet (2004), Banglapedia (2006), Encyclopedia of the Nations (2007) and
UNESCO (2008a-c) archaeological site, and Jaggadala Vihara, the archaeological remains of a
Buddhist monastery. The Sylhet Division is covered with terraced tea estates, patches of tropical
rainforest, pineapple plantations and orange groves. This division has the best climate in the
country – temperate and cool air in the winter and moderately warm in the summer. Annual
rainfall is 5000 mm, the highest in the country. Clear water runs in the rivers and popular tourists
attractions are the waterfall, Madhab Kunda, and Jaflong river delta, where pebbles to the
national concrete industry are collected. Highlighted tourist activities are cycling, bird watching
and visiting tribal villages in the area. Chittagong Division offers a natural and ethnic diversity.
Situated in this part of Bangladesh it is one of the world's longest natural sandy sea beaches (120
km) including mud flats, Cox’s Bazar, and the only coral island, Saint Martin’s Island. To the
local travel market these places have become popular and loathed sea, sand and sun holiday
destinations. Beach life, Bangladeshi style, includes women bathing in a two-piece suit. Far East
the division is hilly; this part is referred to as the Chittagong Hills. Over ten different tribe
populations live in this area, each tribe with distinctive rites, rituals, dialects and dress.
The Mainimati Ruins represents a major religious and political centre without parallel in the
subcontinent as it appears to have been the religious centre from which Buddhism was spread to
South East Asia. This cultural site is on the UNESCO Tentative List. The 900 hectare
Dulahazara Safari Park is the first of its kind in Bangladesh; the park is home for 4,000 animals
of 165 species. Chittagong city is the second largest city in Bangladesh with around 4 million
citizens and the country’s busiest port. The Khulna Division is made up of marshland, dense

jungle and numerous rivers. The Sundarbarns is a preserve cluster of islands with thousands of
winding streams, creeks and rivers and the habitat for the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. The site is
the only UNESCO heritage nature site in Bangladesh and one of the country’s major tourist
attractions.
The Historical Mosque City of Bagerhat is also nominated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Except for Dhaka, this town has more historic monuments in its surrounding area than any other
town in Bangladesh. It was not until the arrival of the British that this division started to develop,
but today the city of Khulna it is the third-largest urban centre in the country.
17
3.2. The two secondary tourist divisions
Barisal Division is a wide and flat region fringed by rivers and the sea, which offers a quiet green
environment with little industrial development and few historical monuments. Barisal, the capital
of the division, is a pleasant port city with several ponds and old buildings from the Raj era. Best
tourist spot is the beach of Kuakata, with a wide, sandy beach boasting coconut groves, a
Buddhist temple and tribal communities. Dhaka Division is the most densely populated area of
the country with some 25,244 villages. Most of the division is closely settled farmland and only
in the far north woodland can be found. Some of the best cultural sites in the countryside are:
Sonargaon, the ancient capital of Isa Khan's kingdom in Bengal, Atia Mosque, a transitional
phase mosque, and the Madhupur Forest Reserve. Dhaka, the bursting capital is dominant in
terms of population concentration, economy, trade and commerce, education, and administration.
The capital can be divided in to three areas. Old Dhaka is a maze of crowded bazaars, narrow
streets and interesting buildings and Mosques. The Lalbagh Fort, Bangla-Mughal style
architecture, is nominated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Central Dhaka is a modern part of
town with commercial districts and many of the nation’s central museums, universities and
offices. Beyond are the suburbs, including the upmarket quarters of Banani, Gulshan and
Baridhara, which have the best restaurants, guesthouses and all of the embassies.
3.3. Status for tourist attractions
The result of the tumultuous history of Bangladesh, with internal warfare, several invasions, rise
and fall of empires, and influence from foreign lands is a country with a widely cultural and
religious mix, monuments to show and stories to tell. A sustainable commercial use of these
resources is often low, which affect the standard for preservation, development and level of
international appeal. There is a dismal lack of designated national parks, reserves and
conservation area in Bangladesh overall. The country has two national park and four forest
reserve. These are in generally not strictly controlled and disappearing fast. With millions of
people to feed, it’s maybe asking too much to lock away good agricultural land. Nevertheless
animal Bhawal National Park (Dhaka Division) and Sundarbarns National Park (Khulna
Division) Lowacherra Forest Reserve (Sylhet Division), Madhupur Forest Reserve (Dhaka
Division), Singra Forest Reserve (Rajshahi Division) and Telepara Forest Reserve (Sylhet
Division) survival often depends on intact natural areas. Some of the large wildlife animals in the
country are tiger, elephant, black bear, deer, monkey, crocodile, snake and dolphin. Bangladesh
is also the habit of more than 650 spices of birds, almost half of those found on the entire
subcontinent.
Global warming represents a huge challenge for Bangladesh, as it is one of the 10 countries most
vulnerable to a rise in sea level. Present predictions indicate the sea will rise by 8 to 30 cm by
2030, and 30 – 110 cm by 2100. A 1m rise in the Bay of Bengal would result in a lost of 12-18%

of the country’s land.UNESCO conclude in 200824 that three sites inscribed on the World
Heritage List and a tentative list now beingdrawn up with the assistance of UNESCO
demonstrate that Bangladesh is concerned with safeguarding a heritage damaged by increased
salinity and climate change. Likewise, with regard to cultural policies and intercultural dialogue,
UNESCO concludes that Bangladesh is concerned to protect and promote traditional Bengali
culture while upgrading relations between cultural diversity and biodiversity as a basis for
sustainable development.
Bangladesh and UNESCO also cooperate in the field of intangible heritage. In 2005 the Baul
Songs were proclaimed Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and an
action plan has been implemented to foster their transmission. These songs are believed to date
back to at least the 15th century and form an important genre of Bengali folk songs also in
present time. Baul Songs were an inspiration to, BengaliRabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), the
first Asian writer to win the Nobel Prize in 1913. Traditional Bengali handicraft is cheep and
includes pottery and terracotta sculpture, processed pieces of jewellery of gold, silver and mother
of pearls, textiles weaving in silk and cotton and wood carved products. The production of local
handicraft is often part of social sustainable development programs. Furthermore Bangladesh
plays a part in the SEAL of Excellence initiative, a South-east Asian program established in 2000
to encourage craft-workers to use traditional skills and materials to ensure the perpetuation of
traditional knowledge and preserve cultural diversity.
3.4. Potential
The six Bangladeshi Division offers both individually and combining a variety of natural and
cultural destinations suitable for tourist attractions. Regardless of the present development, this
paper argues that future tourist development is possible in all districts of Bangladesh depending
highly on the existing potential and the tourist product in mind. Giving the complex challenges
for the nation to preserve its attractions for the future, sustainable tourism development could
have a major positive impact in Bangladesh. The existing external image of Bangladesh can
further more inspire to several new tourist attractions to increase understanding of the country’s
history and developing challenges. For example tourist could see, or participate in, traditional
craft-work or volunteer work at nature and cultural projects.
4. Target groups
4.1. Inbound tourists
The latest available profound statistic information of the bBangladeshi characteristics of the
inbound tourists covers the time period 1996 to 2005.26 Average number of inbound tourists in
the period is 203.015 tourists. The lowest number of inbound tourists was 165.887 tourists
recorded in 1996, the highest was 271.270 tourists in 2004. In 2005 Bangladesh recorded
207.662 inbound tourists. In terms of region the majority of the Bangladeshi tourists originated
from South Asia (99.459), followed by Europe (48.961), East Asia and Pacific (35.976), US
(18.673), Middle East (2.861) and Africa (1.730). During 1996 to 2005 the average numbers of
tourists from different countries, show a top three over 10.000 tourist’s pr year from India
(71.966), UK (31.529) and USA (14.873). In this same period another 22 countries had an 26
Source Parjatan average number of over 1000 tourists travelling to Bangladesh pr. year. Here
Pakistan was situated at the top end with 9.179 tourists and Denmark at the bottom with 1.287
tourists. The countries in-between top to bottom are: Japan, Korea, China, Canada, Nepal,
Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Netherlands, Thailand, Singapore, France, Sri Lanka, Italy,
Sweden, Taiwan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Others and Indonesia.

Within the above mentioned top 25 countries for the Bangladeshi tourist industry 17 countries
show a positive growth for the period 1995 to 2005. The five larges percentage-wise growth is
recoded in ‘Other’ (286%), Indonesia (250%), Taiwan (157%), Thailand (94%) and China
(74%). The number of Danish tourists in Bangladesh shows a 5% growth. The Bangladeshi
inbound tourist activity is spread through out the year. Numbers from 2005, shows that the
country monthly receives between 13.166 (September) and 20.213 (January) inbound tourists.
Less than 17.000 tourists are received in the months of February, April, August, September and
October. Between 17.000 and 19.000 tourists are received in May, June, November and
December. High inbound travel months with over 19.000 tourists are January, March and July. A
significant difference in travel patterns throughout the year exists between the top 25 inbound
tourist countries in Bangladesh. In Korea, Australia, Nepal, Taiwan, Italy, Philippines,
Switzerland and Bhutan November is the month with the highest numbers of tourists travel to
Bangladesh. In China, Japan, Pakistan, Canada, Nederland, Sweden and Sri Lanka most
Bangladeshi travel activity is in January. Tourists in Germany, New Zealand and Denmark
primarily prefer travelling in March. Other favourite travelling month to Bangladesh include
May (India), June (Singapore), July (UK and USA), August (Indonesia) and September
(Thailand and France). Personal experience from the expatriate community show that it is very
rare to meet short-term foreign visitors in Bangladesh, the ones that do visit for less than a month
are usually here as guests of expats. The characteristics of the top 25 inbound tourist countries in
Bangladesh and the existing travel pattern indicates that the inbound tourists from these countries
are influenced by several factors when choosing Bangladesh as their destination. Some of the
important pull- factors for these countries are expected to be: The climatic travel season in
Bangladesh; the historical links to India, Pakistan and England; a linguistic link with English
speaking countries; the geographical proximity to markets; and personal relationships to the
expatriate community.
24
4.2. The local middle and high class
No statistic information of the local tourism market has been found, but several typical features
of this market can be pointed out. The nature of the country’s urban social structure has changed
due to the fact that cosmopolitan culture and modern values has transmitted from the West. So
while the rural lifestyle have remained largely unchanged for millennia, the growing Bangladeshi
urban middle and upper class live much like their Western counterparts. The highest level of
urbanization is in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna which all has a large industrial and commercial
pursuit along with vibrant service sectors. According to Lonely Planet (2004) and Encyclopedia
of the Nations (2007) Wealth and education largely determine urban social status for both men
and women. Unlike many Middle Eastern countries women in Bangladesh enjoyconsiderable
freedom and are generally involved in education and labour.28 Nevertheless educating sons has
the highest priority, which the inequality in the level of literacy between the sexes show (in 2003
est. male 53% and female 31,8%).29 In richer families both sons and 28 Banglapedia (2006) 29
CIA - The world Factbook (2008) daughters are under great pressure to get a good education at
a national or international prestigious university.
Since the 1980s Bangladesh has had a rapidly rising emigration of people, both permanent and
temporary. The emigration rate stood at the 0.77 migrant(s) per 1,000 citizens in 2000, or around
1 million a year.30 12 million Bangladeshis possess a passport in 2008.31 Popular emigration
destinations for study and work are Western Europe, the Americas and Australia. The major
destinations for Bangladeshi workers are Middle East countries and Malaysia, where they are

temporary employed mainly in the low-skill and low-wage construction and service sectors. The
Bangladeshi family is a tightly knitted group, not only for economic and protective reasons, but
as a major centre for both recreational and social activities. Even for city dwellers, there is a
strong connection to the ‘home village’ to which they go when possible. Compared to the hectic,
crowded and polluted city life the rural lifestyle stands out as simple, quiet and safe. Since 2005,
Bangladesh has recognized a two-day weekend: Friday and Saturday and Government Holidays.
Two popular travellingopportunities, where millions of people leave the cities, arethe Muslim
holidays, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Azha.33 Lonely Planet Bangladesh (2004).
26
4.3. The expatriate community
There are no official records of the expatriate community, but foreign countries with embassies
or consulates in Bangladesh can be interpreted as having a high level of national activity and
interest in the country. The 40 countries with national authorities in Bangladesh are: Australia,
Bhutan, Brunei, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Iran,
Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Korea (South and North), Kuwait, Libyan, Malaysia, Morocco,
Myanmar, Nederland, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Sri
Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA and
Uzbekistan.
17 of the above mentioned authorities answered February- March 2008 when questioned about
the numbers of citizens expatriated in Bangladesh. The answers generally show a lack of exact
registration of citizens living in Bangladesh, but these estimations nevertheless provide an initial
insight of this target group. The total numbers of expats provided ends up to 13000 - 15000
expats, primarily from India (5000-6000 persons), America (2400-2500 persons), Pakistan
(2000-2050
persons) and England (around 2000 persons). The sum of expatriated Europeans34 is just over
3000. The further indication of the characterisation of the expatriate community is based on the
results of an exploratory tourism survey in Dhaka on the local target markets in November 2007.
This paper author participated in making the survey as a part of a Feasibility Study on a
Bangladeshi up scale eco resort. 51 random picked expats from 20 countries participated in the
survey. Age between 22 and 60 were represented bythe questioned, average age was 38 years. 12
questioned expats reside in Bangladesh alone while 35 live with a partner/spouse. 25 couples
have 1-3 kids staying in Bangladesh at the age of 0 to 19, average age is 7. In 48 expat
households at least one person is working, in the remaining 3 household occupancy is study
related expats are unemployed, all women living with working partner/spouse. Numbers of
expats from Denmark (137), Germany (150-200), Italy (some 200), Nederland (200), Norway
(71), Sweden (80 families), Switzerland (52), Turkey (113) and UK (some 2000).
Annual household income is in generally high; 20 % earn US$60,000 - US$79,999, 16 %
US$80,000 - US$99,999, 14 % US$40,000 - US$59,999 and a total of 38 % earn more than
US$60,000. The living period in Bangladesh range between 6 month and 22 years, average is 3.3
years. Expatriate households make several annual trips with an overnight stay, the average
number of stays is 1,8 in Bangladesh, 1,5 to home country, 2,8 to nearby countries and 1,1 to
other countries. The expatriate travel pattern in Bangladesh show large differences; 14
households have no experience with such trips, while 8 households make more than 6 annual
trips. The five most important elements when or if, selecting a place to visit/stay in Bangladesh

are: cleanliness, beautiful natural setting, comfortable rooms, good food and environmentally
friendly facilities.
The destinations visited in Bangladesh by expats are mainly inspired by family and friends
(62%), work colleagues (42%) and guide books (19%). Personal experience on the expatriate
community indicates that expats live, with only few exceptions, in the up quarters of Dhaka or
Chittagong. Everyday life and most weekends’ expats in Dhaka stay in the hectic and polluted
capital. Socializing with partner/spouse, children and friends is important, which is often taking
place at local international clubs or restaurants.
Several expats are considering going on extended weekends to the Bangladeshi countryside.
Expats, who have never stayed over night at national destinations outside Dhaka, often base their
perception of Bangladesh on their impressions of the capital city. Some of their specific reasons
not to go are: dangerous and hectic traffic, hours of travel time and lack of knowledge of the
existing destination possibilities in the national tourist market. Expats, who have stayed over
night at national destinations outside Dhaka, often travel in larger groups related to work or
personal relationships; quite often the reason to go is home country visitors. Travelling in rural
Bangladesh is often explained as an intensive experience, which often causes personal
frustrations as well as an increasing understanding of the countries background, present and
future. Curious crowds of people, long travel time and hectic traffic are relevant travel obstacles,
but several travel experienced expats argue that the best experiences in Bangladesh are to be
found outside Dhaka.
4.4. Future tourist demand
Bangladesh is part of South Asia, which also includes Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka. This major region is the most under represented region in tourism terms, with 23
per cent of the world’s population but les than 1 per cent of stayovers. The majority of the tourist
traffic is accounted for just one country: India.Except for the country of Bhutan, that with a strict
tourist visa policy is offering an expensive and exclusive tourist product to few tourists,
Bangladesh is the country in the region that have the least arrivals and revenue earned from the
industry. Tourist arrivals in 2005 were 208.000 from which the country earned 70 million US$.
Contributing factors to the level of inbound tourism in South Asia include a long history of
regional political and social instability. Further more the region suffers by a negative market
image of widespread poverty, a rudimentary level of infrastructure and services, and a relative
remoteness to major market regions. In 2002 the tourist prospects of at least some of the South
Asian countries was predicted to improve in the future through the implementation of
multilateral and interregional projects that seek to develop their potential. Travel & Tourism is in
the beginning of the twenty- first century a high- growth activity, which is forecast to increase its
total economic activity by 4.4% per annum worldwide in real terms between 2008 and 2017. In
this same period, Travel & Tourism in South Asia is expected to post average annualized gains
of an amazing 7.3%; the expected growth in Bangladesh is 5.7% per annum. Travel & Tourism
Demand in South Asia is hereby expected to reach 82,037.2 million US$ in 2007, growing to
204,964.5 million in 2017. In 2007, Bangladeshi Travel& Tourism is expected to post 3,429.3
million US$ of economic activity (Total Demand), growing to 7,412.1 million US$ by 2017.
4.5. Potential
Bangladesh is the country in the region that has the least arrivals and revenue earned from the
tourism industry. Lack of updated valid data about the Bangladesh tourism sector makes it
difficult to conclude the tourism demand status and potential, but possible growth are indicated
in all three target markets; inbound tourism, the local middle and high class and expats. World

Travel & Tourism Council (2007a). In spite of a growing tourist demand worldwide, regionally
and nationally there is no guarantee that Bangladesh will benefit. The reason is39 that many
destinations and individual companies have shackled their ability to grow by running
competition on a cost-only basis and have foregone innovation as a differentiating factor. The
organizations which will benefit most from anticipated industry growth will be those that are
quickest and most flexible in reacting to the unforeseen. To be able to manage industry volatility,
organizations need to possess three distinctive capabilities; _
Flexible operating models,
_
customer centricity as a core capability and
_
Operational excellence.
5. The upcoming tourist
5.1. Transportation
International fares from Europe and Thailand to Bangladesh are often cut-rate flights and the
national transport, whether it is by air, land or water, are cheap compared with western standard.
Bangladesh has international airports in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet; the main outbound
destinations are Bangkok (Thailand) and Calcutta (India). The largest national airport, Zia
International Airport, is located in the capital. 20 airlines are handling over 183 international
flights per week to over 25 destinations in Asia and Europe.40 Several flight routes options exist
from European destinations to Dhaka. As an example flying from Copenhagen, Denmark, to
Dhaka, is possible with one stopover in London (England), Bangkok (Thailand) or Rome (Italy).
Several alternative travel routes include a two stop over journey; First stop over is in one of the
European cities of Frankfurt (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), London (England), Wien (Austria)
or Istanbul (Turkey). Second stop over is in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Doha (Qatar) or
Delhi (India).
About 3.8 million international and 0.8 million domestic passengers pass through Zia
International Airport annually, which is over 50 % of the country's international and domestic
arrivals and departures. In addition to the international airports, there are smaller, domestic
airports in Rajshahi, Bagerhat, Barisal, Cox’s Bazar, Jessore, and Saidpur. There are only a
couple of direct flights between regional cities, including Cox’s Bazar-Chittagong and Saidpur-
Rajshahi. 32
The Bangladeshi rail network is largely British-built, linking most major towns and cities. The
network is divided into two halves – eastern and western – by the Ganges and Brahmaputra
rivers. Connections between the two networks are often poor further more travel is slowed down
by unbridged rivers requiring ferry crossings and circuitous routing. A train ride can take up
exactly the same time, or twice as long, as a bus ride. Approximately 6240km (3877 miles) of
roads makes it possible to reach virtually everywhere in Bangladesh. Road travel can be very
slow given poor quality of many of the roads, heavy and chaotic traffic in urban areas and
occasionally ferry crossings being a necessity. The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation
provides a countrywide network of bus services. Bangladesh has a well-developed and well-used
system of water transport, further more with a total of 8000 km., rivers and streams outstretch
roads in total distance. Although water transportation is generally slow and highly affected by
the rise and fall of the rivers though out the seasons, this transportation form is an interesting
alternative. The main routes are covered by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation

(BIWTC), while private companies are primary operating on shorter routes. Sundarbarns, the
mangrove forest, can only be visited by boat.
5.2. Accommodation, restaurants and night life
Traditionally, Bengalis have preferred to accommodate and entertain guests at home, however
small and congested a house may be. Any suggestion of keeping guests or relatives at hotels or
entertaining them in restaurants was almost sacrilegious. During the British period, officials and
their guests found accommodation and food at circuit houses. In the 1950s and 1960s, a large
number of rest houses were built all over the country providing services to business travellers.
The first hotels and motels build around interesting spots with facilities suitable for tourists were
launched by the national tourism organisation ‘The Bangladeshi Parjatan Corporation’ after
1960. Many little-known places of historic, cultural, ethnic and natural interest were made
popular this way.
The largest complexes were built in Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, but the organisation
also offers accommodation in the cities of Khulna, Dinajpur, Rangamati, Sylhet, Bogra, Rajshahi
and Rangpur. Generally the facilities and service offered by these accommodations are at a basic
level.
A variety of facilities at different service levels are offered in the private build hotels and
restaurants which have emerged all over the country since 1971. Business related tourism still
seems to be the primary target group and the metropolitan cities of Dhaka and Chittagong has
attracted most attention. The top end hotels in Dhaka are: ‘Radisson Water Garden Hotel Dhaka’,
‘Sheraton Hotel’, ‘Sarina Hotel Dhaka’, ‘Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel’, ‘The Westin Hotel
Dhaka’ and ‘Hotel Swiss Park Bangladesh’. Hundreds of restaurants serve Local, Oriental,
Indian and Western food. Further more several exclusive private clubs in Dhaka and Chittagong
provide accommodation, food and bar services to their members and guests. Examples of
popular private tourist accommodation outside the two main cities include in Sylhet Division
‘Nazimgarh Resort’, in Dhaka Division ‘Royal Resort’, in Rajshahi Division ‘Hotel Naz
Garden’, ‘Elenga Resort’ and ‘Jamuna Resort’, in Chittagong Division ‘Esmeralda Resort’,
‘Hillside Resort’ and ‘Seagull Hotel’.
Private tourist boat operators with onboard accommodation are primary sailing in the
Sundarbarns or nearby Dhaka. Examples of high quality tourist boat operators are ‘Contic’,
‘Guide Tours’, ‘Bangladesh Ecotours’ and ‘Excursion Bangladesh’. Bangladeshi nightlife is
nearly non-existent. Being a Muslim country, alcohol is frowned upon and found mostly in the
international clubs and pricier restaurants in Dhaka and in some restaurants in tourist centers like
Cox's Bazar. Some of the nicest hotels in the cities have fully equipped bars with exaggerated
prices to match. In town Teknaf and on Saint Martins Island smuggled beer from Myanmar is
occasionally sold.
5.3. Tour operators
Theoretically both the National tourist Office Parjatan (The Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation)
and the private-sector run tours in Bangladesh, but in reality the private-sector operators have
eclipsed national tour service.46 At ‘The Bangladeshi Tourism Fair 2007’ it was estimated that
about 150 private tour operators in the country, no Bangladeshi tour operator works abroad, and
no foreign tour operator work in Bangladesh. In 1992 78 private tour operators48 founded the
TOAB association (Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh), which aims to develop and
nourish tourism in Bangladesh and to promote tour products of Bangladesh in the international
arena. In 2002 the association was recognized as a trade organization from the Ministry of
Commerce, the Government of Bangladesh. In addition to their focus on their home market,

several TOAB members49 cooperate with foreign tour operators and provide tour packages to
nearby South Asian counties - primary India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Latest membership update from
2006 show 73 members and 4 associated members, including tour operators, hotels and resorts.
On foreign markets Bangladesh is included as a tourist destination by few local travel operators,
for example ‘Experience Bangladesh’ (USA), ‘Undiscovered Destinations’ (UK), ’UNITAS
rejser’ (Denmark) and ‘Grace Tours’ (Denmark). In 2007 TOAB claimed that their members
cater up to 95% of the foreign tourists and also hosted most of the domestic tourists: However
the organisation do not have any statistic on how many tourists they host every year, 49For
example ‘Amazing Holidays’, ‘Classic Tours & Travels’, ‘Galaxy Travel International’ and ‘The
Guide Tours Ltd.’ how big their private industry is, or how big their contribution to the
government treasury is. All tour operators outside TOAB do not seem totally unprofessional
though; two examples are ‘Contic’ and ‘Delta Outdoors’.
5.4. How is Bangladesh sold
The Bangladeshi tourist slogan most referred to is ’Visit Bangladesh: Before Tourists come’,
used several years ago by Parjatan. Nevertheless the promotion of Bangladesh as a tourist
destination is far from unambiguous, most likely due to lack of national political policy and
business corporation. The first and still active national policy on tourism in Bangladesh was
introduced in 1992, but according to TOAB no changes in the industry has been evident since its
announcement. There is no cooperation between the reprehensive organs form the government
and private tourist sector, Parjatan and TOAB, further more a collectively marketing policy does
not exist in either organ.37
Several webpage’s are providing national tourism information, e.g. Gateway Bangladesh,
Bangladesh Online and Discovery Bangladesh. The main source of the tourist promotion of
Bangladesh abroad is the few foreign tour operators selling this destination. The profiles of these
companies often include concepts of sustainable travel and development, and their tourist
products are frequently aiming to improve the tourist’s knowledge and understanding of the
destination society.
In foreign markets Bangladesh is generally presented as a fairly undiscovered tourist destination
as well as a country with developing problems, natural beauty and interesting cultural life.
Several of these foreign tours operators are able to customise their Bangladeshi tours by
including volunteer work, field study trips or visits to NGO projects, traditional companies and
villages. The national tourist promotion of Bangladesh by the local tour operators seems to be
highly influenced by national pride. The quote below is an example of the perception of the
potential of the Bangladeshi tourist product; these same phrases are often used in local sales
promotion. Land of enormous beauty, hundreds of serpentine rivers, crystal clear water lakes
surrounded by ever green hills, luxuriant tropical rain forests, beautiful cascades of green tea
gardens, world's largest mangrove forest preserved as World Heritage, home of the Royal Bengal
Tiger and the wild lives, warbling of birds in green trees, wind in the paddy fields, abundance of
sunshine, world's longest natural sea beach, rich cultural heritage, relics of ancient Buddhist
civilizations and colourful tribal lives, - Bangladesh creates an unforgettable impression of a land
of peace and tranquillity. In the home market tourist promotion every company is generally on
their own. Sales promotion in English is common, as to the extent that some companies do not
promote to the local market in the native language. Brochures, business cards and Tour Planers
Ltd. (2008). Word of mouth seem to be important marketing channels, as not all companies have
a web-page. To attract tourists the local tourist operators often outbid competitors in
professionalism, quality, service, linguistic skills, sustainable development, adventure and unique

tourist products. Comparing the tours of the different operators, few stands out with a distinct
profile and product while the majority seems to offer quit similar tours and sales phrases. To a
western observer the linguistic promotion promises sometimes also conflict with a poor photo
quality, especially when showing a low or different quality concept of facilities and service.
5.5. The future Bangladeshi tourist supply
Travel & Tourism is a catalyst for construction and manufacturing also in Bangladesh. In 2007
the public and private sectors combined were expected to invest 764.8 million US$ on Travel &
Tourism or 4.6% of total investment. By 2017, this amount should reach 1,864.3 million US$,
corresponding to 4.4% of total investment. The Bangladeshi level of investments in Travel &
Tourism is not exceptional. Worldwide in 2007, Travel & Tourism Capital Investment were
expected to reach 1,155,427.0 billion US$, equivalent to 9.5% of total annual worldwide
investment. At the year 2017 the investments in this line of business is predicted to reach
2,392,765.0 billion US$, or 9.9% of the total world investment. In South Asia, Travel & Tourism
Capital Investment is expected to total 23,306.0 million US$ in 2007, or 8.0% of total regional
capital investment. The Bangladeshi aviation industry followed the globally growth rate in 2007,
with a 7.6 percent growth. To fulfil a steadily growing demand for air transport several private
airline operators operating in Bangladesh are planning to expanded their activities. This
expansion includes adding more aircraft to their fleet, new international destinations and raising
the numbers of flights to both international and national destinations.
5.6. The potential of the tourism industry
The tourism industry is quite a young line of business in Bangladesh, where the development
predominantly has been left to the local market forces. Today this market has both local and
international tourist players competing for the small existing market, primarily composed of a
local tourist market and a foreign business market Bangladeshi government and private tourist
sector are represented by organisations, nevertheless co-operation, strategies and policies aiming
at developing a prosperous and sustainable tourist industry are rear - and not always
implemented if they exist. To develop the Bangladeshi tourism industry successfully a local
based strategy is crucial - without visions, missions, goals and policies for this line of business
the development is largely uncontrolled. Here by there is a possibility that an undesired or
destroying tourist development takes place, often influent by powerful foreign tourist players.
Political and/or private initiatives can control a national tourism development as well as
introduce initiatives to strengthen the influence of local communities.56 The political history of
Bangladesh seems to indicate that the private sector should have a large influence if the national
tourism development is to be sustainable and consistent. The future tourism strategy should have
two primary aims. First; the development has to be sustainable including economical, cultural
and environmental considerations. The term sustainable can be determined as: “Development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs”.57 As tourism often causes both positive and negative influence on a
destination the phenomena and control of a sustainable development is complex. Every
destination has an ultimate sustainable load, but a generally and objective definition of this
sustainable limit do not exist.41
The second aim for a Bangladeshi tourism strategy is that actions should be taken to increase the
tourist income by raising the numbers of tourists, the income pr. tourist or the average length of
stay. In this regard it is obvious to focus on existing local markets as well as to aim for the
traditionally profitable inbound tourist market. The low existing inbound tourism demand
indicates that fundamental product and promotion improvement is required. Strategically product

improvement must take into account that “International travellers have a much higher service
expectation than most domestic travellers, they judge operators (and hence destinations) on the
basis of their professionalism. And although there may be many professional operations in
Bangladesh, both large and small, there is a terrible lack of connection between their products
and the discerning dollar-spending traveller.”
To meet the expectations of the foreign market investments in the existing infrastructure and
other tourism related services seems to be necessary product improvement must result in a
desired tourist product, which must take existing Bangladeshi attraction supply and foreign
demand into account. The Bangladeshi destination already awakes life lessons and eye-opening
experiences to expatriates and some of the existing product potential lies in trekking, beach
resorts, wildlife and the everyday life of the Bangladeshi people. One possible national product
improvement strategy therefore is to develop the Bangladeshi tourist destination inspired by the
philosophy of responsible travel. This philosophy “redefines the way people travel around the
world. [The responsible traveller] wants a holiday that minimises his/her impact on the
environment and detrimental influence on local cultures, while simultaneously enlightening
themselves about the world abroad.”
The responsible target market generally travel for a longer time period, they would most likely
buy a guided round trip in Bangladesh and/or including nearby countries e.g. Nepal, India,
Burma and Bhutan. Responsible travel is a Inspired by world niche market increasing
especially in USA and Europe.
Regarding strategically tourism promotion, the second improvement proposed to attract the
inbound market, this should be more unanimous and go far beyond the slogan: ’Visit
Bangladesh: Before Tourists come’.
The Bangladeshi tourism industry can be criticized for lacking marketing professionalism, which
is severely crippling the industry’s inbound and expatriate tourism growth. The solution is that
the local operators’ provide the tourists with truthful, well researched and easy-to understand
information on what a journey to the country will be like, and why it will be memorable. In the
process of accessing new foreign tourist markets the expatriates can be considered a pivotal
springboard, as one can never underestimate the power of the word of mouth. Before
Bangladeshi tour operators can do any kind of job reaching the outside world, they need to
convince the expat market first.
6. Executive summary
This paper provides an introduction to the Bangladeshi tourist sector focusing on its general
status and development potential. It is the hope to increase the interest of the Danish tourism
business in Bangladesh as well as draw the attention to the development possibilities through the
DANIDA B2B programme. Reality in Bangladesh is not as devastating as the international
image of the country indicates. The country show a number of positive development indications
in spite of huge challenges related to geography, climate, history, population and national
economy. Tourism has since the 1990s been a small but rapidly growing sector of the economy.
Foreign embassies request travellers in Bangladesh to be alert to several safety andsecurity
issues, nevertheless crime rates have traditionally been low compared to other areas of the world.
General travel advice is to be well informed of world events andlocal developments, avoid
potential dangerous situations and travel responsibly. Due to historical isolation Bangladeshi
culture and history is distinct. The six national divisions offer both individually and combining a
variety of natural and cultural destinations suitable for tourist attractions. The Bangladeshi
authorities are concerned with safeguarding its heritage, including an extraordinary intangible

heritage and the traditional Bengali handicraft. Nevertheless the standard for preservation,
development and level of international appeal of these resources are affected bothby a low
sustainable commercial use and several national 5
challenges. Sustainable tourist development could have a major positive impact. Target groups in
the Bengalis tourism industry are: inbound tourists; the local high and middle class and expats.
Lack of update data makes it difficult to conclude the tourism demand status and potential, but
possible growth are indicated in all three target markets. Bangladesh is one of the countries in the
South Asian region that has the least arrivals and revenue earned from the tourism industry. This
might change in the future as the travel and tourism activity is forecast to increase worldwide,
regionally and nationally. The most successful organisations in the global tourism market will be
those who are quickest and most flexible in react ing to the unforeseen. The tourism industry is
quite a young line of business in Bangladesh. It is predominantly developed by local market
forces to the national tourist market and a foreign urban business market. Organisations represent
the government and private tourist sector, but co-operation, strategies and policies to develop a
prosperous and sustainable tourist industry are rear. Both local and international tourist players
are competing for the existing market, but no Bangladeshi tour operator works abroad, and no
foreign tour operator work in Bangladesh.
The present and future level of national investments in the travel and tourism sector is lower than
the average world and regional investments levels. To successfully develop the Bangladeshi
tourism industry a local based strategy is crucial. This strategy should aim both at sustainable
development (including economical, cultural and environmental considerations) and increasing
tourist income. It is obvious to focus on existing local markets as well as to aim for the
traditionally profitable inbound tourist market. The low existing inbound tourism demand
indicates though that fundamental product and promotion improvement is required. Before
Bangladeshi tour operators can do any kind of job reaching the outside world they need to
convince the expat market first. 47
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48
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49
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51
8. Appendix
8.1. Tourist arrivals (in thousands)64
Country 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Bhutan 5 6 7 8 6 6 6 9 13,6 NA
India 2395 2382 2482 2649 2537 2384 2726 3371 3919 NA
Maldives 366 396 430 467 461 485 564 616 395 NA
Nepal 422 464 492 464 361 275 338 385 375 NA
Pakistan 375 429 432 557 500 498 479 648 798 NA
Sri Lanka 384 409 465 445 397 457 583 566 669 NA
Bangladesh 183 172 173 199 207 207 244 271 208 200
8.2. Tourism revenue (in millions US$)65
Country 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Bhutan 6 8 9 10 9 8 8 13 19 NA
India 2889 2948 3009 3168 3042 3013 3533 4769 NA NA
Maldives 286 303 314 321 327 337 402 471 287 NA
Nepal 116 153 229 219 191 134 232 260 160 NA
Pakistan 117 98 492 551 533 562 618 765 827 NA
Sri Lanka 212 231 414 388 347 594 692 808 729 NA
Bangladesh 62 52 50 50 48 57 58 67 70 NA
64 Daily Star (2007)
65 Daily Star (2007)
8.3. Players in the local tourism business

Accommodation
Elenga Resort www.ipsslgroup.com/serv-elenga.htm
Esmeralda Resort www.esmeralda-resort.com
Hillside Resort www.guidetours.com
Hotel Naz Garden www.hotelnazgarden.com/home.php
Hotel Swiss Park Bangladesh
Jamuna Resort www.jamunaresort.com
Nazimgarh Resort http://nazimgarh.com/
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel
www.panpacific.com/Dhaka/Overview.html
Sarina Hotel Dhaka www.sarinahotel.com/
Seagull Hotel www.seagullhotelbd.com/cox's_bazar.htm
Sheraton Hotel
Radisson Water Garden Hotel Dhaka
www.radisson.com/dhakabn
Royal Resort www.lighthousebd.com/resort/
The Westin Hotel Dhaka
52
Transportation
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC)
www.mos.gov.bd/biwtc.htm
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation www.brtc.gov.bd/
Royal Bengal (Aviana Airways Ltd.)
www.flyroyalbengal.com
United Airways (BD) Ltd. www.uabdl.com
Zia International Airport
Tourist information
Bangladesh Online www.bangladeshonline.com/
Discovery Bangladesh www.discoverybangladesh.com
Joy Bangla www.joybangla.info
Gateway Bangladesh www.bdgateway.org/
Tourist organisations
Parjatan (The Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation)
www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd/
TOAB (Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh)
www.toab.org/
Tour operators
Amazing Holidays www.holidays-amazing.com
Bangladesh Ecotours www.bangladeshecotours.com/
Classic Tours & Travels www.classictours-bd.com
Contic www.contic.com/Main.html
Delta Outdoors www.delta-outdoors.com/
Excursion Bangladesh www.excursionbangladesh.com/
Experience Bangladesh (USA)
www.experiencebangladesh.com/
Galaxy Travel International www.galaxybd.com

Grace Tours (Denmark) www.gracetours.com/default.asp
Guide Tours Ltd. www.guidetours.com
Undiscovered Destinations (UK) www.undiscovereddestinations.
com/
UNITAS rejser (Denmark) www.unitasrejser.dk/
53
8.4. Prices in Bangladesh
The national currency is the Taka divided in 100 paisa.
100 Taka was US$1.45 or 6.75 Danish Kroner according
to CoinMill.com. (19. April 2008)
Bangladesh experienced low to moderate inflation over the
last one decade, except for the year 1997-1998 when the
consumer price index climbed to 9%. The index hovered
around 7% or below 2005-2006. The price in food prices
averaged at 6% per year during 1996-97 to 2005-06. But
in 2007-2008, Bangladesh is confronted with a high-price
level that promises to stick around for an unforeseeable
future, giving the scarcity in food supply and the countries
vulnerability to weather. (Published On: 2008-04-18)66
Transportation
International flights67 (return)
Copenhagen, Denmark to Dhaka, Bangladesh from
US$1372
London, UK to Dhaka, Bangladesh from US$906
66 Daily Star (2008a)
67 www.travelmarket.dk search 19. of April 2008
Bangkok, Thailand to Dhaka, Bangladesh from US$672
National flights
United Airways Ltd. One way promotion fares:
Dhaka to Jessore 2600 Taka
Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar 4200 Taka
Sylhet to Chittagong 4000 Taka
Royal Bengal
Dhaka to Chittagong 3520 Taka
Dhaka to Sylhet 3175 Taka
Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar 1995 Taka
Tourist accommodation
The Westin Hotel Dhaka
US$211 Double room, US$ 196 Single room.
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel
Sheraton Hotel
US$179 Double room, US$169 Single room.
Sarina Hotel Dhaka
54

Resorts/hotels outside Dhaka:
Hillside Resort, Bandarban, Chittagong Division
Cottages (double) from 1200 Taka
Tribal houses (double) from 800 TK
Royal Resort, Dhanbari, Tangail, Dhaka Division
Palace, rooms from 75 US$, suite 175 US$
Villa, room from 25 US$
Bungalows, from 60 US$
Cottage, from 40US$
Jamuna Resort, Jamuna River, Rajshahi Division
Cottage from 6000.00 TK
Suites from 4250.00 TK
Elenga Resort, Kalihati, Rajshahi Division
Cottages of different sizes from 5500TK
Dormitory style from 2750 TK
Dormitory style from 660 TK double
Seagull Hotel, Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong Division
Presidential suite (Double) US$250
Suites (Double) US$108
Deluxe sea view (Double) US$54
Regular sea view (Double) US$45
Hotel Pashur, Khulna, Khulna Division (Parjatan Hotel)
AC room 1200 Taka
No AC room 600 Taka
Domestic Tour Package
Contic (1 night 2 days boat trip) Dhaka-Srimongol-Dhaka
Super deluxe 7000 Taka/person
Deluxe 5000 Taka/person
Economy 3500 Taka/person
Contic (2 nights 3 days boat trip) Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar -
Dhaka
Super deluxe 10.500 Taka/person
Deluxe 8500 Taka/person
Economy 5500 Taka/person
Safari plus (3 days 3 nights) Bandarban, Chittagong
District
Standard 2850 Taka/person
Executive 3950 Taka/person
Safari plus (3 days 3 nights) Sylhet, Sylhet Division
Standard 4850 Taka/person
Executive 6950 Taka/person
55
The tiger trail (3 days 2 nights) Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong
District
From US$225
The tiger trail (2 days 1 night) Sylhet, Sylhet District

From US$80
The tiger trail (2 days 1 night) Rajshahi, Rajshahi Division
From US$105
Salary
Unskilled worker e.g. construction labor 200-300 Taka a
day
Office employee 12.000 Taka/month
Average manger 35.000 Taka/month
Internet
Private 96 Kbps 3000 Taka a month
Corporate 256 Kbps 25.300 Taka a month
Corporate 512 Kbps 40.000 Taka a month
Mortgage payment
Up quarters in Dhaka
Apartment 2000 sqf. (181 sqm.) 65.000 Taka a month
Food
Milk (local) 100 Taka/L
Milk (imported) 140 taka /L
Danish butter (imported) 50 Taka /100 g
KFC menu 250 Taka
Chicken (800 grams) Taka 200
Coarse rice 30-40 Taka per kg
Fine rice 80-100 Taka a kg.
Non-brand Soya bean Taka 108-110 per kg
Super palm oil Taka 101-103 a kg
Fuel
Petrol 68 Taka a litter
Gas (car) 8 Taka a litter
Gas (house) 400 Taka a month
Club membership
International Club Monthly fee family (US$75) and single
US$45
Dutch Club Monthly fee family (US$100) and single US$50
American Club Monthly fee family (US$60) and single
US$30
56
8.5. SWOT analysis of the Bangladeshi
tourism sector68
8.5.1. Strengths
Internal environment of the Bangladeshi tourist destination
What is the current level of patronage, and how does this
compare with past trends?
Tourists in Bangladesh are inbound tourists, Bangladeshi
middle and high class or expats.
There is a lack of knowledge about demand in the
Bangladeshi tourism business, particular regarding the

Bangladeshi middle and high class and the expatriated
community.
Inbound tourism registration exist for the period 1996-
2005. Average number of inbound tourists in the period
was 203.015 tourists. The lowest number of inbound
68 This SWOT analysis is mainly inspired by Daily Star (2007) and
JoyBangla.info (2008)
tourists was 165.887 tourists recorded in 1996, the
highest was 271.270 tourists in 2004.
What products are accentually and potentially available?
Due to historical isolation Bangladeshi culture and history
is distinct from many countries.
Bangladesh offers a variety of natural and cultural tourist
destinations, some on the UNESCO Heritage List.
The traditional Bengali handicraft is cheap
The present society and the developing process are
interesting tourist attractions sold primary by foreign tour
operators to the inbound market.
The national transport, whether it is by air, land or water,
is cheap. Slow existing transportation by road, rail and
water can be an adventure with the right positive attitude.
A variety of tourist accommodation facilities are offered in
rural and urban Bangladesh. Most investment has been
don in the Business related tourism and the metropolitan
cities.
Bangladesh is concerned with safeguarding a heritage
damaged by increased salinity and climate change.
57
Nevertheless sustainable commercial use of these
resources is often low, which affect the standard for
preservation, development and level of international
appeal.
Bangladesh is a fairly new and rarely visited inbound
tourist destination, which can attract an adventure
searching tourist market.
The world image of Bangladesh can inspire to several new
sustainable tourist attractions to increase understanding
of the countries history and developing challenges.
Interested in the effects of global warming can become a
new inbound travel market in Bangladesh, as the country
is one of the 10 countries most vulnerable to a rise in sea
level.
The tourism potential in Bangladesh can be developed
through implementation of multilateral and inter-regional
projects or co-operation with foreign travel companies.
Resposibletravel.com gives two examples of sustainable

co-operation holidays in Bangladesh, where foreign
providers are committed to support local people and the
environment.69
69 Responsibletravel.com (2008b)
Who are the customers, and how are they segmented?
Bangladesh attracts inbound tourists from many
countries; several pull-factors are expected and the tourist
activity is spread throughout the year. South Asia and
Europe are the larges inbound regions and India, UK and
USA are the larges inbound countries.
Local travel market is part of the growing urban
population, which live much like their Western
counterparts. 12 million passport holders and a decrease
in annual working days since 2005 are estimated to have
a positive effect on the local travel market.
Expatriated Bangladeshis represent a word of mouth
access to several potential national target markets. Moving
back to their native country some further more represent a
valuable skilled workforce in the tourism sector.
The urban expatriated community in Bangladesh
represents a variety of nationalities average years of stay
seems to be between 2-5 years. The all year present expat
community in Bangladesh is a wealthy and travel
58
consuming target market, which further more represent a
word of mouth access to several potential national target
markets.
What are the activities and behaviour of the costumers?
In terms of existing tourist products, both inbound and
home market, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chittagong and Khulna
Division are the main tourist divisions. Sundarbarns, Cox’
Bazar and Chittagong Hill Tracks are some of the most
popular tourist destinations.
To what extent are costumers satisfied with the available
products?
Several travel experienced expats argue that the best
experiences in Bangladesh are to be found outside Dhaka.
What are the available financial and human resources?
The tourism industry has low construction, running and
salary expenses.
Labour force is reliable and abundant.
English is commonly used by the tourism industry.
The national aviation industry are expanding, as the
Bangladeshi aviation industry followed the globally growth
rate in 2007.
8.5.2. Weaknesses

Internal environment of the Bangladeshi tourist destination
What is the current level of visitation, and how does this
compare with past trends?
What products are accentually and potentially available?
Several factors, e.g. amount of garbage and the condition
of several attractions, indicate that the existing tourism
business is not sustainable.
The accessibility to tourist destinations and
accommodations is negatively affected by non-availability
of adequate infrastructure, including domestic and
international transportation.
Existing beach life, Bangladeshi style, includes mud flats
destinations loathed during high season and women
bathing in a two-piece suit. This can not be sold as a
typical western mass tourism sea destination.
59
The low existing inbound tourism demand indicates that
fundamental product and promotion improvement is
required.
Tourism products should relate to the fact that
Bangladesh is a Modern Muslim society and a densely
populated developing country, which has been historical
isolated. Sustainable tourism product is one such
solution.
Tourists, especially inbound tourists, need a guide or a
high level of knowledge to travel safely and responsible
(culture and nature awareness) in Bangladesh.
Who are the customers, and how are they segmented?
What are the activities and behaviour of the costumers?
To what extent are costumers satisfied with the available
products?
Several tourist products do not live up to a western
concept of quality and service.
Travelling time and safety are relevant obstacles to the
local expat target market.
Social insecurity: Local people do not have visitor
experience, so tourists sometime feel uneasy in some
places.
Several expats, who have no experience with urban
Bangladesh, base their perception of rural Bangladesh on
their impressions of the capital city.
What are the available financial and human resources?
The Bangladeshi level of investments in Travel & Tourism
is not exceptional, compared with regional and worldwide
annual investment.
The tourism industry is vulnerable due a short high

season and a large local market share.
Inadequate trained manpower.
The tourism industry is quite a young line of business in
Bangladesh, where the development predominantly has
been left to the local market forces.
The tourism development is largely uncontrolled in
Bangladesh as no marketing or developing policy exists, in
spite of the fact that the Bangladeshi government and
private tourist sector are represented by organisations
60
(Parjatan and TOAB).
There is a lack of knowledge about demand, supply and
competitors in the Bangladeshi tourism business.
There is a low level of co-operation and innovation in the
tourism sector.
Tourism industry lacks marketing professionalism, which
is severely crippling the industry’s inbound tourism
growth. In the home market tourist promotion every
company is generally on their own. It is expensive and
ineffective for local operators to reach the worldwide
market at the current time.
The inbound tourism marketing is primarily preformed by
few foreign tour operators. This fact indicates that the
Bangladeshi tour operators are loosing income to their
foreign competitors.
8.5.3. Opportunities
General environment of the Bangladeshi tourism system
Bangladesh is a Democratic Muslim state more interesting
in national developing challenges than the conflicts
between the ‘Western’ and ‘Muslim’ world.
The country is a liberal democracy and has a generally
homogeneous society and one dominant religion.
The interim government provides travellers with a form of
relative stability. Furthermore this government is fighting
corruption and bureaucratic procedures.
Despite some unfathomable hindrances national economy
is improving and the country is showing positive
development.
The seasonal weather is relatively stable; especially the
cold season is comfortable for travelling.
Bangla and English speaking population the last
mentioned primarily consist of well educated urban
people.
Strong linguistic, cultural and historical connections exist
to England, Pakistan and India.
Number of tourists in Bangladesh is estimated to increase

due to generally growing local, regional and world tourism
travel activities.
Responsible tourism is a growing world market niche.
Competing destinations or businesses
Inbound travel pattern to nearby tourist countries
correspond to the best travel season in Bangladesh.
61
Bangladesh has a strategic stopover position in the region
to the larges inbound tourist destination in the region,
India, as well as two prominent world ecotourism
destination, Nepal and Bhutan.
8.5.4. Threats
General environment of the Bangladeshi tourism system
Infrastructural development is required, especial road and
rail is a significant obstacle for the tourism sector.
Technological development is required.
Low levels of basic education coupled with lack of the
latest technical and managerial skills.
The climatic changes through out the year and in the
future have large implications for travelling in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has occasionally storms, floods and
earthquakes.
The country has a worldwide image of poverty, natural
catastrophes and corruption.
The national tourism sector is negatively affected from lack
of social and political commitment. The future political
situation in Bangladesh is highly depending on the coming
election.
The preservation of natural and historical attractions is
just one challenge between several to the Bangladeshi
society.
Competing destinations or businesses
South Asia is the most under represented region in
tourism terms. Competing regional countries to
Bangladesh, except for Bhutan, have more arrivals and
revenue earned from Tourism.
The future average annual tourism investment worldwide
and in the South Asian regional is far larger than in
Bangladesh.
62

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