Work for promotion of tourism based on Buddhist culture: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday inaugurated an international conference on Buddhist circuit, the first of its kind in the world, calling upon all to work together for the promotion of tourism based on Buddhist culture and traditions, reports BSS. The Prime Minister also hoped that respected delegates of the conference would be able to draw a roadmap for the development and promotion of tourism industry in the region and they would come forward with an attitude of mutual cooperation to execute the roadmap. "I firmly believe that you would portray Bangladesh tourism in different international forums as you would pursue a new path of mutual cooperation," she said while opening the conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday morning. The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has oarganized the two-day conference titled "Developing Sustainable and Inclusive Buddhist Heritage and Pilgrimage Circuits in South Asia's Buddhist Heartland".
The major objective of the conference is to prepare an action-based roadmap for the planning, development and marketing of sustainable and inclusive cross-border Buddhist tourism circuits and routes in South Asia after consultations among globally reputed Buddhist tourism experts and local tourism stakeholders.
The conference will also help build a platform of Buddhists with networking of tourism players of regional countries, especially among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, organizers said.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon presided over the inaugural function, while Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry Muhammad Faruq Khan and UNWTO Secretary General Dr Taleb Rifai spoke as the special guests.
Tourism ministers, high-ranking government officials, experts, academicians and other stakeholders from 13 Buddhist populated countries -- China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka and host Bangladesh are participating in the event.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is a country with enormous potentials for tourism. "Our mind-blowing scenic beauty, cultural heritage, archeological remains, artefacts, rich civilisation, especially the warmth in our people has the strength to attract tourists in our country."
The Prime Minister said this country has all the treasures to emerge as a new tourist destination on the world map.
She said serenity of nature, art and culture, anthropological past, vestiges of evolving civilisation, and moreover, hospitality of the Bengali nation can easily attract tourists from all over the world.
"I find the entire country as a vast terrain full of tourist attractions. The bounties of six seasons, wide expanse of alluvial plains, waters apes, hillocks and valleys, villages under the canopy of trees and shrubs of this eternal land can amaze anyone," she said.
Spelling out her government's steps for the development of the tourism industry, the Prime Minister said the sector has started playing an important role
again in the overall socioeconomic uplift of the country thanks to well-thought-out plans and programmes by the present administration.
"I believe that this two-day international conference is an outcome of development and progress of the country's tourism industry," she said.
Ministers, parliament members, diplomats and high officials were present at the inaugural function of the conference.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has framed the National Tourism Policy-2010 for overall development of the tourism industry and establishing Bangladesh as a "tourist destination" in the world.
Under the tourism act, she said, Bangladesh Tourism Board has
been constituted as the national tourism organization.
The Prime Minister said the government has already cut import duty remarkably on some heads for the tourism-related sector, while duty waiver is being offered on the import of equipment and accessories for international standard hotels.
She said the present government has also taken a time-befitting decision like introduction of on-arrival visa for visitors of more than 60 countries and launched community-based tourism for the socioeconomic uplift of local community by involving them in tourism industry.
The Prime Minister said her government has established Tourist Police to ensure security for travellers, while the work on setting up Exclusive Tourist Zone on 1028 acres of land at Sabrang in Cox's Bazar is progressing fast.

Work for promotion of tourism based on Buddhist culture: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday inaugurated an international conference on Buddhist circuit, the first of its kind in the world, calling upon all to work together for the promotion of tourism based on Buddhist culture and traditions, reports BSS. The Prime Minister also hoped that respected delegates of the conference would be able to draw a roadmap for the development and promotion of tourism industry in the region and they would come forward with an attitude of mutual cooperation to execute the roadmap. I firmly believe that you would portray Bangladesh tourism in different international forums as you would pursue a new path of mutual cooperation, she said while opening the conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday morning. The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has oarganized the two-day conference titled Developing Sustainable and Inclusive Buddhist Heritage and Pilgrimage Circuits in South Asias Buddhist Heartland. The major objective of the conference is to prepare an action-based roadmap for the planning, development and marketing of sustainable and inclusive cross-border Buddhist tourism circuits and routes in South Asia after consultations among globally reputed Buddhist tourism experts and local tourism stakeholders. The conference will also help build a platform of Buddhists with networking of tourism players of regional countries, especially among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, organizers said. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon presided over the inaugural function, while Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry Muhammad Faruq Khan and UNWTO Secretary General Dr Taleb Rifai spoke as the special guests. Tourism ministers, high-ranking government officials, experts, academicians and other stakeholders from 13 Buddhist populated countries -- China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka and host Bangladesh are participating in the event. Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is a country with enormous potentials for tourism. Our mind-blowing scenic beauty, cultural heritage, archeological remains, artefacts, rich civilisation, especially the warmth in our people has the strength to attract tourists in our country. The Prime Minister said this country has all the treasures to emerge as a new tourist destination on the world map. She said serenity of nature, art and culture, anthropological past, vestiges of evolving civilisation, and moreover, hospitality of the Bengali nation can easily attract tourists from all over the world. I find the entire country as a vast terrain full of tourist attractions. The bounties of six seasons, wide expanse of alluvial plains, waters apes, hillocks and valleys, villages under the canopy of trees and shrubs of this eternal land can amaze anyone, she said. Spelling out her governments steps for the development of the tourism industry, the Prime Minister said the sector has started playing an important role again in the overall socioeconomic uplift of the country thanks to well-thought-out plans and programmes by the present administration. I believe that this two-day international conference is an outcome of development and progress of the countrys tourism industry, she said. Ministers, parliament members, diplomats and high officials were present at the inaugural function of the conference. Sheikh Hasina said her government has framed the National Tourism Policy-2010 for overall development of the tourism industry and establishing Bangladesh as a tourist destination in the world. Under the tourism act, she said, Bangladesh Tourism Board has been constituted as the national tourism organization. The Prime Minister said the government has already cut import duty remarkably on some heads for the tourism-related sector, while duty waiver is being offered on the import of equipment and accessories for international standard hotels. She said the present government has also taken a time-befitting decision like introduction of on-arrival visa for visitors of more than 60 countries and launched community-based tourism for the socioeconomic uplift of local community by involving them in tourism industry. The Prime Minister said her government has established Tourist Police to ensure security for travellers, while the work on setting up Exclusive Tourist Zone on 1028 acres of land at Sabrang in Coxs Bazar is progressing fast.