Bangladesh Must Harness the Tourism Potential of the Chittagong Hill Tracts

World Tourism Day reminds us that tourism is not only about travel and leisure. It can create jobs, support local economies, encourage small businesses, earn foreign currency and preserve cultural heritage. For Bangladesh, tourism can also help diversify the economy and reduce regional inequality. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is one of Bangladesh’s most promising tourism regions. Comprising Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban, the region covers about 13,295 square kilometres and offers hills, forests, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, caves, biodiversity and diverse cultures.

Kaptai Lake, Shuvolong, Alutila, Richang Waterfall, Devotapukur, Nilgiri, Nilachal, Boga Lake, Thanchi, Remakri and Nafakhum should not be developed as isolated destinations. Instead, Bangladesh needs an integrated Hill-Lake-Culture Tourism Circuit linking the tourism attractions of all three hill districts with the existing Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar tourism corridor.

Community-based tourism can help ensure that tourism income reaches local people. Families can benefit through homestays, guiding, boat services, local food, handicrafts, agricultural products and cultural activities. The cultures of communities including the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Mro, Bawm and others should be promoted with their consent and fair economic participation.

Agriculture can also be linked with tourism through farm visits, fruit orchards, coffee and cashew tourism, local food experiences and farm-based homestays. However, tourism development must not lead to hill cutting, deforestation, pollution or unplanned construction. Low-impact, high-value tourism should be promoted through carrying-capacity limits, waste management, water conservation and environmental impact assessments.

A Digital CHT Tourism Platform could provide information on destinations, hotels, homestays, approved guides, transport, weather, safety alerts and online booking. Improved roads, mobile networks, healthcare, emergency services and digital payments are also essential. Coordinated action by government agencies, local authorities, communities and the private sector can make the CHT a major pillar of Bangladesh’s tourism economy.