Keywords

Introduction

Over the last few decades, tourism has accomplished a great achievement in the world economy as a single largest industry. Many countries such as France, Spain, China, and the US have considered this growing industry a significant foreign income source and the prime hub for vital economic activities. Those countries having the largest industry earn myriad incomes in payments for domestic goods and services and bring about colossal employment opportunities in the service industry. Daily Telangana Today (2018) reported that in the world’s trade of services, tourism’s contribution is estimated at 30%, and the contribution in exports of goods and services stands at 6%. The emerging trend of tourism has become a sine-quo-non to those countries’ immense economic development. The tourism industry has become increasingly appealing and magnificent both in the developed and developing countries due to augmenting and cutting-edge new destinations that reflect their historical, cultural, and natural domains. These focal points are increasingly treated for progression and prosperity to make those the most adventurous and striking tourist destinations. It has become a typical pattern that many of the rapidly flourishing tourist spots are positioned in the middle- and low-income countries, and, correspondingly, those countries have become the center of excellence in this growing industry.

Since the independence in 1971, Bangladesh has overlooked to equip this emerging industry with significant facilities and aptitudes necessary for its breakthrough. It is undoubtedly recognized that the country is blessed with extraordinary natural resources with the availability of colossal historical and cultural sights. Due to the lack of several determinants such as proper knowledge, capital, the focus of attention, research, and study on the tourism industry’s promotion and protection, this vital industry was unexposed for a long time. Hemmati and Koehler (2000) claimed that despite its more excellent prospect and potentiality to improve the industry and contribute to the economy remarkably, this industry fell short of required conditions such as lack of proper guidance from the concerned institutions and authorities for scrambling off to a regular time interval.

Davenport and Davenport (2006) argued that countries having endowed with a couple of natural, technical and designed advantages made up this world that has witnessed tourism as the fourth largest industry for employment generation and contribution to the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product). In 2012, for example, travel and tourism accounted for 9% of global GDP (share) and supported approximately 260 million jobs (World Travel & Tourism Council, 2014). Still, this booming industry has encountered the existing challenges deriving from global climate change and economic recession. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has anticipated that in 2020 the many of the developing country’s economy will maintain GDP growth as high as 4.6% as of 2019 (Global Finance Magazine, 2020). Muhanna (2007a) observed that in the IMF’s measurement, they exhibited that the tourism and recreation industry of those Asian and African countries will become the leading portion to that of the fastest GDP growth rate. In earlier research, Tooman (1997) mentioned that the tourism industry’s emerging trend may become an instrument for developing countries to combat poverty. This industry can assist those countries, including Bangladesh, by generating income and employment and expanding the economy with their unparalleled natural beauty.

Blessed with specific criteria necessary for promoting and protecting the tourism industry, Bangladesh can utilize her exceptional natural and cultural traits. Bangladesh is a small, densely populated South Asian country surrounded and bordered by India from three sides and by Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal from the Southeast and Southside. This geographical location has been made this country a vital communication hub from traveling to the western part to the eastern part of this world either by air or by sea. Besides, Bangladesh is blessed with natural beauties and cultural legacies as the preconditions for the development of tourism industry. Particularly, the country has two undeniable natural resourceful areas: the Sundarbans, and the longest unbroken Cox’s Bazar sea beach. Some other renowned cultural, historical, and archaeological visiting and recreation sites have been innovated and renovated at different periods under different governmental regimes throughout the century.

According to Sultana (2016), the decreasing trend of economic growth in Bangladesh reveals that the country needs to focus on the conditions precedent for the tourism industry’s advancement. Data shows that the tourism industry’s contribution to the GDP, and employment is only 2.1% and 1.9%, respectively. Comparing to the close neighbors, Bangladesh receives the lowest number of international tourists each year. Her tourism market size is very trivial for both domestic and international tourists. The government has enormous potential to enhance economic growth and, hence, develop by adopting new tourism-led-growth. Suppose Bangladesh makes substantial progress in this industry by adopting new technology, investment, and new establishment then within few years. In that case, tourism and recreation will be our country’s primary foreign earning sources. This chapter will devise a model to resolve sustainable tourism and hospitality management for Bangladesh. This chapter aims to explore the challenges and problems associated with promoting the tourism industry. This chapter argues that the responsibility for overcoming those challenges that facilitate the process of development ultimately rests with the government and private organizations.

Overview of Tourism Industry in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is not merely reputed as an attractive tourist destination to foreigners and international communities. Instead, she is described as a country stuck with poverty, natural calamities, climatic disasters, and many other low images to the global communities. Moreover, the people themselves are hospitable, generous, and friendly, essential for any country to be a tourist spot. Hossain and Firozzaman (2003) stated that tourism in Bangladesh did not make the proper advancement up to a certain standard level because it falls below the in line of sufficient number of attractions but lacking from unreasonable and insufficient promotional activities. The country’s tourism and hospitality industry is conquered mainly through the active and smart private industry. In the last two decades, private industry has flourished significantly with their tourism and hospitality products and services in the hole country, and in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna, and Chattogram divisions, in particular.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (2014), the total contribution of travel and tourism to Bangladesh’s GDP was TK 460.3 billion (4.4 percent of GDP) in 2013, and is expected to increase by 7.9% in 2014, and by 6.5 percent per year through 2024, to TK 935.5 billion (4.7 percent of GDP). However, in 2013, Travel & Tourism contributed 3.8 percent of total jobs, including new jobs produced by the business indirectly (i.e. almost over 2 million jobs were created). In 2014, this is predicted to increase by 4.2 percent to 2,965,000 jobs, with annual increases of 3.0 percent to 3,974,000 jobs by 2024. (4.2 percent of total). Therefore, with this influential and more than expected statistical figure, it can easily be understood how much potentiality does our tourism industry possesses and there is no doubt about that each time this vital industry is moving forwards to build a new lighthouse to our economy. According to World Tourism Organization (WTO) tourism and hospitality management continue to to outpout as a world economic force with the contribution of almost US$5.5 trillion to the global economy in 2004 (World Tourism Organization, 2005). The increasing trend of tourist arrivals and revenues, according to Rahman et al. (2010), is continuing worldwide. According to prior estimates from 2005, global visitor arrivals increased to 808 million, with 1,561.1 million predicted by 2020. The ongoing rise of the tourism industry around the world is positive, and countries are demonstrating their desire to attract more tourists to their destinations and noteworthy locations.

Latif et al. (2015) studied that a significant number of countries are trying to endorse their tourism industry as a major source of foreign income and thus forming the opportunity to establish this important industry as an exciting means for national economic development.

Another study by Hossain and Nazmin (2006) showed that the tourism industry is often mentioned as one of the significant patrons who can provide extensive returns to the Protected Reserved Forests. The economic benefit of tourism is considered as reducing local communities’ reliance on natural resources such as parks, sunset spots, and lakes, among other things. In Bangladesh, there is a scarcity of in-depth research on the effects of tourism on ecosystems and communities. No effective national tourism plan has been documented, and no effective rules are implemented to guide and control the entrepreneurs, manufacturers, merchants, and investors associated with this industry.

Rahman et al. (2010) revealed that Bangladesh has the opportunities to evolve and modernize many tourism spots and facilities across the country. Still, only a few famous tourist spots dispense service to the visitors and fulfill their magnetism at present. Such limited facilities are commonly clustered in some important places in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram divisions. In Chattogram division, visitors and foreigners’ main attractions facilities are located at diverse locations of Cox’s Bazar, Saint Martin’s Island, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban districts. Two important archaeological and historic sites located in Mainamati at Cumilla and Lalbagh road and Islampur road in Dhaka (i.e. Lalbagh Fort and Ahsan Manzil). In Sylhet Division, most of the tourist areas are attracted mainly by the realistic scenarios of Jaflong, Madhabkunda, and Tea gardens. Other famous and attractive places are Kantaji’s Temple, Swapnapuri, Ramsagor located in Rajbari, Dinajpur, and Rajshahi Division. Paharpur at Noagaon, and Mahasthangarh at Bogra are also well-known to tourists for their historic manifestation. In Khulna Division, visitors are mainly attracted by the Shatgombuj Mosque at Bagerhat, and the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest. These heritages are situated in the southern part of Khulna that lays alongside the Bay of Bengal.

In a statement, the Daily Star (2009) stated that our unfortunate Bangladesh had not made sufficient steps to protect and develop all of its historical, cultural, and environmental tourism assets. Various important tourism attractions, as well as the geographic distribution of some ancient sites and monuments, have lately been found. It depicts the distribution of tourist attractions around Bangladesh. Furthermore, many other lovely and lovely areas have yet to be discovered, necessitating tourist expansion. It explains the previously unknown fact that tourism facilities could be established and expanded across our country’s many regions. However, the most modern and technologically advanced strategies may be able to handle a continuous expansion of tourism chances based on potentialities in various sections of this deltaic country.

Investment and Development Perspective Theories in Tourism

At the edge of the preceding century (i.e. during the decades of 1970s and 1980s), the framework, scheme, and outcomes of tourism investment and development evolved as a broad contextual basis that exerted influence on the critical mind of the then researchers and analysts of economics. Britton (1982) revealed that the two approaches were dominated by the dependency perspective and the life-cycle model. Both the case of dependency and the life-cycle approach emerged from Neo-Marxism’s theoretical extractions and the modernization theory.

Any feasible nation or a region that wants to enter the tourism destinations’ businesses initially faces strong global competition because the nation’s emerging tourism industries are primarily characterized and supported by the local establishment. Local industry structures become characterized by foreign organizations or locally selected proprietorship as the number of visitors grows and their integration into the global tourist system growth. Although local firm owners receive economic benefits, they must carry a large portion of the expected costs if there is a rapid increase in tourist numbers. However, increased higher costs associated with any mass arrival of tourist people within a nation will supply both the local communities and neighborhoods to rely on it to be a real prospect for local communication and control. Still, there would be limited potential for achieving more sustainable regional development forms.

Nevertheless, both the evolving approaches are featured as problematic since they lack the mechanism to recognize the avenues that individuals, industries, and local government can regulate their destinies. As Preister (1989, p. 20) noted, “locally-affected people are not shaped passively by outside forces but react as well, at times even changing the conditions of the larger system”. Preister (1989) contended and considered the development outcome as a negotiation product between individuals or local groups and structural forces. The structures are revealed as an upheaval that could not assess the empowering locals’ strategy to compel the development plans. Hence, the declining sequence of progression might be minimized or circumvented (Drake, 1991). Priestley and Mundet (1998) specified that technological revolution and industrial organization modifications are not handled effectually. In particular, the presence of incompetence enriches the perceptions of capital’s ability (or otherwise) to remedy the periodic actions of profit downturn and dilemma.

Another new approach (community approach) in the 1980s focused on the growing role of local agency, treating communities and its constituent members as an effective operational system in influencing tourism outcomes (Taylor, 1995). The community method, in contrast to the two previous models, identified locals as powerful planning instruments and participants in tourism development. The community’s decision-making power works as a successful outcome when their rights are concerned in deciding tourism development. The community becomes a decisive factor in controlling industrial development’s culmination to some extent. Murphy and Price (2005) argued that the host communities’ presence and participation in the decision-making power facilitate the system to devise and design the types of tourism they desire to introduce according to their needs and can gradually regulate their pros and cons. Regrettably, proponents of community participation in tourism development have frequently forgotten local élites’ proclivity to hijack the instruments of participation for their own gain (Brohman, 1996). Gender relations, race, and ethnicity have all influenced power structures inside communities and how they are connected to larger socioeconomic, political, and environmental institutions.

The economics of new tourism has emerged with its new perceptions– profitability no longer depends exclusively on economies of scale and numerous identical markets’ exploitation. Somewhat economies of scope, cartel formation, systems expansion, price competition, and designed and customized vacations are becoming more critical for profitability and tourism competitiveness. This new model tradition’s significant characteristics are facilitated by its focus on product flexibility and available variety that use advanced technology. Bangladesh, a major developing country in South Asia, holds high tourism potential. This country has the evident scope for establishing and expanding its opportunities for nature-based, culture-based, research-based tourism and eco-tourism.

Regulation and flexible specialized approaches are important steps in enabling Bangladesh’s tourism and economic development to work together. Both methods emphasize the importance of understanding the broader processes of industrial accumulation in order to comprehend the economic prospects that areas and communities throughout the world face, as well as the intricacy of the tourism development process. Despite various criticisms, a regulations approach will provide Bangladesh a useful base from which the county can build an ampler and more understandable global–local relations that influence a concrete development outcome of our tourism industry.

Methodology and Objectives

Tourism can be the second most significant industry after ready-made garments in our country. To continue further advancement and development in this crucial industry of our economy, more investment and thorough sustenance is need from government and non-government industry. The major goal of this study is to define the possible scope of investment and development in Bangladesh’s tourist and hospitality industry. It aims to pinpoint the industry’s current issues and future potential in relation to the country’s economic growth and development. This study is based on conceptual ideas, secondary information, and another empirical field of observation from both a national and international perspective. The secondary information is collected mainly from the related literature survey and relevant internet-based data sites. Consequently, this chapter’s focal point is to assess the positive correlation between tourism and Bangladesh’s economic growth and to find out the ambiguities (if any) of existing tourism and hospitality management in Bangladesh and provide a model about sustainable tourism and environmental protection.

Data Analysis on Present Status of Tourism in Bangladesh

Foreign tourists, in comparison to our large number of domestic visitors of all types, make up a significant portion of the entire tourist population each year. The overall number of international tourists in 1997 was 1,82,420, with a rising trend continuing in subsequent years. In 2003, there were 2, 44,509 tourists, an increase of 0.60 percent from the previous year. Bangladesh was visited by around 12.75 percent of foreign tourists in 2004 and 2005. However, in 2006, the number of tourists arriving in Bangladesh fell to 3.09 percent of the overall number of tourists (Rahman et al., 2010). From 1997 to 2017, Table 3.1 shows the number of tourists who arrived in Bangladesh by year.

Table 3.1 Number of foreign visitors in Bangladesh (1997–2017)
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However, Bangladesh’s visitor arrivals dropped by almost 73% in December 2018, compared with an increase of 23.6% in the previous year. The data on visitor arrivals growth rate is updated yearly on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism website, available from December 1982 to December 2018. The data reached an all-time high of 23.7% in December 2015 and a record low of −7.9% in December 2018 (Census and Economic Information Centre Data, n.d.). The Global Economic Databases and indicators by Census and Economic Information Centre (CEIC) calculate the annual tourist arrivals growth rate, tourism revenue, and revenue growth rate from the different countries’ yearly tourist arrivals. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) provides data on Tourist Arrivals and arrival’s growth rate.

Figure 3.1 displays a bar graph of the number of tourists who visited Bangladesh throughout time, which fluctuates dramatically across years. Foreign tourists climbed almost continually from 2006 to 2017, with a dip between 2006 (3.09 percent) and 2009 (4.11 percent). The rapid decrease in tourist arrivals was noticed in 2012 (1.93%) and 2014 (1.93%). Moreover, the number of tourist arrivals in this country has jumped to decrease particularly in 2011 and 2013, and the number has been fallen afterward considerably. But from 2015 and onwards, the diagram shows a skyward increase in visitors in Bangladesh. However, due to a lack of trustworthy statistics for the years after 2017, the current state of tourist volume cannot be determined (Census and Economic Information Centre Data, n.d.).

Fig. 3.1
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Number of tourists’ arrivals in Bangladesh from 1997–2017. (Source: Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism data, 2019b; Census and Economic Information Centre Data, n.d.)

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International tourism revenues, which can be defined as foreign direct expenditures by international incoming visitors, including payments to any national carriers for international transit or transportation, are one of the most important earning sources of foreign currency nowadays. Any indirect or agreed-upon payments made for goods or services provided by destination nations are likewise included in those payment receipts. The receipts from the sudden and same-day visitors or visitors for any particular purpose except when those are important enough to categorize distinctly based on the governmental invitation are also included.

Figure 3.2 shows revenue earnings from Bangladesh’s tourism industry regarding spending for goods or services by foreigners from 1997 to 2017. The figure predicts that for the year 2017, this was 357,000,000, which is a 62.59% increase from 2016. But the data on tourism revenue statistics of Bangladesh has estimated the value of 367,000,000 in the year 2018, which is a 2.39% increase from 2017. All the data shown in the following charts are in current US dollars (Census and Economic Information Centre Data, n.d.). However, due to a lack of data and the ongoing pandemic scenario caused by the coronavirus spreading around the world, the current year’s scenario and the current year cannot be monitored. In light of the entire scenario, it is reasonable to conclude that our country has not given sufficient attention to maximising tourism’s economic potential. In Bangladesh, like in the rest of the globe, the tourist industry is growing in importance as a lucrative economic sector, and there is a significant risk of squandering this chance for export revenues and economic gains.

Fig. 3.2
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Consolidated amount of tourist spending on domestic goods and services in Bangladesh (1997–2017). (Source: Census and Economic Information Centre Data, n.d.)

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Existing Dodges of Bangladesh Tourism

The preconditions to promote and develop tourism are manifold such as infrastructural services, transportation facilities, effective advertisement and marketing strategy, and implementation of the holistic policy. Infrastructure facilities in many tourist spots such as Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Bandarban are not satisfactory in Bangladesh. Establishing hotels, restaurants, and rest houses, arranging picnic spots, amusement parks, theatres, camping sites, water skiing, etc., require the careful attention of the government as well as non-governmental organizations.

Despite the fact that its first national tourism policy was formulated in 1992 (Hassan & Kokkranikal, 2018), several factors such as lack of skilled manpower and technical expertise have contributed to downgrade the industry with its archaic policy guidelines for advertisement and marketing strategy. The pre-requisites of advertising tourism spots are breaking new ground for the people both in and outside the country. The BPC website lacks basic information, such as images of notable landmarks, lodging facilities, modes of transportation, distance from the capital city, information on the surrounding area, people, and weather, among other things. The political atmosphere is a condition precedent to the development of tourism in the country. Regrettably, the dearth of the congenial socio-political environment leading to political turmoil and economic strain makes such an attempt appalling and hence, challenging to sustainable tourism. There are also additional disruptions, such as a lack of good cooperation among numerous institutions, which harm the tourism business directly or indirectly. Following are the few obstacles that continue to thwart this vital industry’s progression.

Shortcomings of Publicity and Marketing Activities

The strategies and maneuvering of advertisements to uphold the charms of tourism in order to mesmerize the international tourists are exposed as flawed as compared to the neighboring country’s approach of advertisements in international print and electronic media. The advanced technology and innovative tactics established by the “countries of best practice” in upholding the standard of advertisement require to be practiced enhancing the constructive image of our country. The evolution of our prime tourist attractions divulging vibrant cultures, is a must to upkeep sustainable tourism. Arrangement of budgetary allocation from the government as well as private sources is necessitated to fulfill the gap. An effective brand name to flourish tourism may facilitate the process of effective publicity and marketing operations.

Backward Community

The perception and significance of tourism are not well-known to the regressive sections of society. Lack of knowledge to preserve and protect this pivotal industry is a reason behind its holistic development. Tourism is undoubtedly recognized as potential sources of employment and foreign exchange. Exploring every nook and corner of tourism demands the educational background, progressive mind, and innovative tactics of people and society to expand this business. Consciousness in discovering, devising, and extending the industry to a rural area will strengthen the business in a comprehensive way.

Lack of Training

The staff and personnel involved in the tourism industry are not proficient enough to administer the industry competently. For example, tourists guide lack enough training and knowledge to treat international tourists with sophistication and effective hands. The regular arrangement of training and coaching for the guides will help to reinvigorate the industry with its resourceful functions such as printing, folk-arts, and dying etc. Some special training programs for women to complement the functions of the staff might be needed in many cases.

Limitations in Infrastructural Development for Reinforcing Sustainable Tourism

Architectural design in infrastructure is a must to strengthen this vital industry. Embellishing an infrastructure with historical importance may beautify its overall standard that has an immense impact on developing thriving tourism industry. The amplification and introduction of necessary and primary services such as hotels and lodging, transportation and communication, safety and security, and tourism information services, among others, are all part of the process of decorating a tourist destination. Without incorporating these services in the system, this industry becomes useless, and its standard of facilities and services would be devalued.

Lack of Tourism Investments

 While service investment is a well-established economic activity in rich countries, it is still in its early stages of development in developing countries. In developing nations, investment in service-oriented ventures, notably tourism, is connected with a number of obstacles, including high risk and hazardous conditions. As a result, while Bangladesh may be able to capitalize on natural tourism opportunities, securing adequate money for tourism initiatives is proving difficult. Furthermore, a lack of money may exacerbate the difficulties associated with project identification, planning, and implementation.

Lack of Consistent Tourism Policies and Strategies

In Bangladesh, National Tourism Policy 2010 works as guidelines to reduce poverty alleviation, to resolve tourism development issues, safeguard the built and natural heritage, and to achieve sustainable socio-economic development. Integrated tourism policymaking is a pre-requisite for sound and sustainable tourism development. The emerging conflicts between the government departments and the private tourism agencies give rise to discrepancies as regards the implementation of the policies to a great extent. This is conjoined in many cases with the dearth of effective administration, regulation, and institutional frameworks of touristic activity.

Lack of Tourism Safety

The safety and security of tourists play a pivotal role in making the tourism industry rewarding. The safety of tourists acts as a sine-quo-non for any successful tourism industry. One of the key attentions of tourism strategy and policy is planning and keeping a safe tourism environment. The perilous environment has harmed host countries’ reputation. A negative impression of tourists formed out of an unsafe atmosphere in Bangladesh may destroy the prospects of tourism in the long run.

An intermingling of all the preconditions for a successful tourism industry is a must for its holistic growth. To promote and protect sustainable tourism, the country needs to wipe out the problems above contributed to the tourism business. Booming the tourism industry’s potentials requires serious attention from both national and foreign investors. A considerable investment is looked-for. Devising a long term strategy with a well-organized plan of action may accelerate the process of development. Forming a destination wise investor’s association may be a solution to this.

Investment and Development Strategies in the Tourism Industry

The tourism industry is considered a great sign of development strategy. At the primary, secondary or tertiary level, tourism’s emerging development upholds a positive multiplier effect and causes growth (NumptyNerd, 2019). The positive multiplier effect has contributed to other industries generating jobs in the tertiary industry and facilitating other industries’ growth. Jucan and Jucan (2013) described that the multiplier effect on the national economy is manifold. Directly, hotels’ business as part of development strategy of tourism proliferates job markets, and indirectly it boosts up the national economy. The maintenance of a hotel, for instance, requires buying products from local markets or farmers who may utilize the amount in the expenditure of food or fertilizer. This chain of demand to tourists who may be eager to buy products or souvenirs from local markets contributed to secondary employment. This idea of a chain of positive multiplier effect can be identified in the following Fig. 3.3.

Fig. 3.3
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Model of tourism led economic growth. (Source: NumptyNerd, 2019)

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As a development strategy, the government of Bangladesh may promote several matters such as (a) relaxation of immigration controls, (b) easing visa requirements, (c) developing transport facilities and upgrading roads and highways, (d) devising metro rail, (e) nurturing tourist facilities such as hotels and restaurants, golf club, dive Centre, etc. for the promotion and protection of tourism industry. Introducing English courses for travel agents may facilitate the industry as a development tool. Building Tourism Information Centre to serve international tourists and reinforce international relations is another strong indicator of development strategy. Tourism encourages increased entrepreneurship for locals having the opportunity to escalate personal wealth. Strengthening new skills and technology is an added approach to invigorate tourism as a means of development strategy.

In some developing countries such as Vietnam, India, Taiwan, Barbados, Cuba, and Turkey, the tourism industry has been strengthened to strengthen local companies and entrepreneurs that contribute to devising new products and exports. As a development tool, tourism is a means to examine or test local products before the international markets, and it also urges to specific quality standards. Despite the challenges associated with global markets (e.g. to meet the adverse circumstances shortly), tourism works to motivate the system that brings about growth and gradual advancement. Maintaining labor market standards become a severe concern for tourism development.

Consequently, the burden for accessing the immigrant labor to the market has become increased. As a result, there were views of bad working conditions, career trajectories, and pay rates as compared to other industries. Re-skilling possibilities for businesses such as tourism may be available due to an ageing population. Similarly, providing adequate education and training programs is a critical area for boosting innovation and increasing productivity in the tourism business. The tourism industry faces a number of challenges in labour markets, including (a) attracting the best employees and retaining and developing them over time; (b) a lack of new skills to meet changing tourism trends; (c) effectively managing labour or skills shortages; (d) low-quality products; (e) harming the industry’s competitiveness, and so on. Despite the repercussions of the current economic crisis, Muhanna (2007b) argues that the long-term prospects for tourism growth are in jeopardy.

Education and skill development are crucial for all tourism destination countries, but education and skill-related training in this field will provide a significant challenge for developing countries, particularly in those experiencing the fastest tourism boom. Asymptotically, countries with the advantages of offering low wages and an attractive payment structure for their employees will generate increasingly more challenges in the tourism industry than developed countries relying on their existing tourism enrichment. Nonetheless, there will be increased pressure on service quality standards to pursue training and skills development across countries in order to boost productivity and retain competitiveness. In the tourism industry, the prevalence of small and medium enterprises into the service providing facilities makes additional challenges to confirm the training and skills improvement plans available to small scale and infant businesses.

However, the tourism industry may be accustomed to negative aspects when applying it as a development scheme. It may increase dependency on a single industry, and other potential industries of a country could get neglected. Natural disasters and political unrest have an adverse impact on tourism industries’ development. Sometimes, the government is unable to spend money on infrastructure projects due to its previous responsibility to build more schools or hospitals. Last but not least, the tourism industry may exploit workers’ basic rights such as minimum wages and working hours, and overtime facilities. Figure 3.4 represents the tourism earnings as a percentage of total GDP in several tourism-promoting countries:

Fig. 3.4
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Tourism based growth by different countries. (Source: NumptyNerd, 2019)

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Any national action and supporting regional action which promotes tourism led development that will provide a guideline to any tourist destination country for negotiating specific responses that could be a part of any immediate action plan. Different methods or approaches will facilitate the accomplishment achieved by taking any supportive action if it arises. Governments, non-governmental organisations, and any regional or local groups are encouraged to be creative and original when developing strategies that utilise national and regional resources.

National Strategies

Several strategies are listed below to help the government enable to implement the suggested national action about tourism.

  • A policy management plan for long-term tourism growth

  • Consultative strategy between the public and commercial sectors

  • Set up a committee for interpretation

  • Interdepartmental teams

  • Zones of sustainable development

  • Demonstration projects for long-term tourism development

  • A few regional strategies can be employed to support or act as a catalyst for long-term tourist development

  • Information, research, and data sharing

  • Comparative studies in the development of sustainable tourism

  • Sub-regional and regional and collaboration

The image of any destination county is critical in drawing tourists to that location. Bangladesh, on the other hand, is having image issues as a result of some international electronic and print media. Various negative and awkward news produced by those media often highlights Bangladesh in bad shape that results in misconception among different levels of potential tourists. Thus, many foreign visitors avoid Bangladesh as a tourist destination because they lack sufficient knowledge of the country and its tourism attractions and services, or their knowledge is negative. Due to various limitations, the Bangladesh tourism industry could not spend the necessary funds to promote our country’s reputation positively and, therefore, help the international media revise those negative images. This industry should place a strong emphasis on printed materials and distribute them to potential tourists via various airlines, international tour operators, foreign missions abroad, and other means. With the issues that our tourism industry is facing, the development of a sustainable tourism industry in Bangladesh will be dependent on priorities and policies concerning various touristic arrangements, technical development, and national administrative growth.

The Pursuit of Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Management in Bangladesh

At the different part of this world, several developing countries have shown tremendous efforts of becoming rich through natural or cultural heritage assets that include national parks, safari parks, eco-parks, coral reefs, a museum for rare and uncommon species, ancient statues or monuments that were under risk or even threat. Developing or underdeveloped countries frequently lack the financial means to devote solely to the preservation of certain places, and must thus seek money for their protection in novel ways. The revenue generated from tourism could be a solution to this limitation if we could handle this productive industry in a more stylish form and thus regulate as well as manage in a responsible manner. Under current conditions, our country’s tourist industry faces a number of significant issues that will influence its long-term development and performance, as well as set the agenda for public policy action. These include:

  • Global affiliation and open markets policy;

  • Technology-based tourism;

  • Adopting the impact of climate change for sustainability;

  • The knowledge economy is a new type of economy;

  • Human capital formation;

  • Productivity and competitiveness; and

  • It improved the law and order situation.

Bangladesh is one of the adversely affected countries of climate change in this universe. Data on the last couple of decades shows that the temperature reaches to a record high in recent past years. As a result, the country found a widespread outbreak of various infectious and contagious diseases, a remarkable variation of consumers’ behavior in response to climate change, possible modal shifts in transportation uses, and a lack of environmentally responsible behavior among the visitors and tourists.

Global communication, especially through the worldwide flows of transmission of information and the spread of computer, Internet-based technologies, web search engines and global positioning systems (GPS maps) have created a world with countries and communities more close to one another, and this is termed as the economy of information and communication technology under which actual competitive advantage stays in knowledge, information, and human skills.

Bangladesh’s tourism destination and hospitality management need to recognize and adapt to these changes as early as possible. To better serve tourists (both domestic and foreign), the country’s tourism intelligence must be effectively organized, better coordinate with local and national levels, analyze and share experience among tourism troops in order to improve the effectiveness of government activities at all levels. One area where public policy interventions might make a useful contribution is the rapid dispersion of knowledge and resources among different tourism locations through improved utilization of research-based intelligence and the construction of networking systems. Consumers have been empowered by Internet-based technologies, which have given them unprecedented access to information about travel, lodging, food, and diverse tourism items, as well as the opportunity to avoid traditional intermediaries, compare shop, and build their own product packages.

Sustainable tourism management is required in Bangladesh for the preservation and improvement of tourism resources as well as their long-term use. Diverse measures can be considered as prime concerns, and these are as follows:

  • Use of friendly and innovative systems such as energy-saving technologies and usage of renewable energies etc.;

  • Supporting the foreign direct and indirect investments for attaining efficacy in the world-class accommodation facilities;

  • Keeping the energy usage (e.g. air cooling and heating systems) at least as possible and widening the use of renewable energy;

  • Improving the quality and quantity of water and controlling air pollution; sustainable waste management;

  • Protecting valuable natural regions as a possible source of long-term tourism growth.

Bangladesh must increase the quality of tourist education and training to meet labour market demands, forming a knowledge-based economy, which is critical for long-term tourist sustainability. The following measure can be taken to create more human resources in the economy:

  • Use of unified and adaptive communication and information technology in the tourism industry;

  • Upgrade the existing education system and launch a unique science-based education system for all and improve the staff qualifications in the tourism industry at all levels;

  • Supervising and monitoring the qualification, knowledge, and access of training and research facilities for the tourism personnel/staff and preferment of mechanisms between trainers and companies;

  • Coordinating the procedures for awarding work permits to overseas tour operators and tour guides.

In recent years, there has been a significant growth in consumer awareness of sustainable tourism, owing in part to substantial media coverage. Consumers all across the world are increasingly looking for ecologically friendly products and are becoming more aware of the consequences of sustainability and climate change. Bangladesh is not out of this era. The country should need to go for environment-friendly transportation as soon as possible, considering that they will be less harmful to our nature. Moreover, the Bangladesh tourist industry anticipates a significant, ground-breaking investment to eventually enhance and improve infrastructure and promotional tactics. Because the government is unable to meet the needs of heavy investment due to resource constraints, it should consider promoting (by providing tax breaks, security, and other incentives) the private sector, both domestic and foreign, in order to achieve the goal of a sustainable tourism industry in Bangladesh. The government should declare extra incentives to private investors to boost private investment.

Conclusion

To summarize, the tourism industry has been considered a profitable industry to every nation. Sustainable tourism growth in Bangladesh may be viable in the long run if the country can implement proper policies and strategies, as well as information sharing and cooperation. New locations should be investigated and conserved to produce attractive tourism sites based on existing regional and communicational contexts, in order to expand the tourist industry and pump more cash into the nation’s GDP. Any illegal infringement, unsocial activity, or pollution should be avoided in certain areas. Tourism development would be successful only if diverse players in the public and private sectors work together in a coordinated and cooperative manner. Besides, tourism development and hospitality management involve different kinds of activities, knowledge-based leadership quality, productivity, and competitiveness among the national, regional, and local levels. The tourism industry has been widely dependent on the adoption of information and communications technology by various exclusive tourist destinations that will assist visitors, easing the way of online booking, advance booking, and expanding the marketing capabilities by gifts and promotions through artificial intelligence. The internet facilities, along with smartphones, tablets, etc., have fundamentally changed the way the world witnesses the international tourism industry and its interactions with customers. As Bangladesh also moves forward with the adoption of complete digitalization under the present ruling government, it is expected that the country will try to exploit every facility and potentialities of tourism in favor of its economic growth and development. The world is now using sustainable tourism for development so, Bangladesh should also start a widespread tourism business. Just like the success story of the apparel and textile industry, our country should think of the great potential it. The tourism industry can draw the investors’ attention in both the local and the foreign. A huge investment is needed to develop long-term strategy for launching destination-wise tourism spots along with the exotic vision to accelerate the process of development.