Integrated Tourism Master Plan Takes Shape With 1,498 Sites, New Policy in the Works

The government is finalizing an integrated tourism master plan covering 1,498 potential tourist destinations across Bangladesh. It has also started work on the ‘National Tourism Policy 2026’ to promote planned, environmentally friendly tourism and create employment opportunities. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat disclosed the plans in a written reply to a question from reserved women’s seat MP Shawkat Ara Akhter during the National Assembly session on Sunday. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed chaired the session.

The minister said work is underway to prepare a ‘Tourism Satellite Account’ to address the lack of reliable tourism data and support sustainable development based on accurate statistics. The government also plans to involve local communities in developing tourist destinations under the ‘Community Based Tourism’ model. It is considering increasing the manpower and capacity of the Tourist Police to strengthen security for domestic and foreign visitors.

The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs have also decided to jointly promote cultural tourism. A memorandum of understanding will be signed between the ministries, followed by an SOP and a joint task force to implement the programme. Meanwhile, work on the official “Beautiful Bangladesh” (beautifulbangladesh.gov.bd) web portal is progressing to promote the country as an international tourism destination.