He made the remarks while chairing an inter-ministerial meeting on tourism development centred on historic sites and archaeological heritage at the conference room of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on Monday (August 24).
At the meeting, Culture Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury welcomed newly appointed Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat with flowers. State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr. Zahedur Rahman and Secretary Kaniz Moula were also present.
Nitai Roy Chowdhury said Bangladesh’s thousand-year history, heritage and culture must be branded and showcased to the world. He said enormous potential could be created in the tourism sector if historic and archaeological sites were developed in a tourist-friendly manner.
He said countries such as the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Malaysia have made significant economic progress by effectively utilising tourism. Bangladesh could also gain substantial economic benefits from the sector if its archaeological sites and cultural heritage are properly promoted and showcased, he added.
Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said the two ministries should form a joint committee to identify heritage and archaeological sites capable of attracting tourists. He also proposed signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and forming a joint committee to strengthen cooperation between the two ministries.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam said the tourism sector currently contributes around 2-3% to GDP growth, but this could be increased to 7-8% if the two ministries work together in a coordinated manner.
A PowerPoint presentation titled “Unlocking Bangladesh’s Creative Economy Through Cultural Tourism” was presented at the meeting. It noted that around 40% of tourists worldwide are interested in cultural tourism. Therefore, an integrated initiative is needed to develop Bangladesh’s cultural and archaeological heritage sites as tourism destinations.
Secretaries and senior officials from both the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism attended the meeting.
