Skip to main content

Tourism Policy in Bangladesh: A Critical Perspective

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Tourism Policy and Planning in Bangladesh

Abstract

The tourism industry of Bangladesh is reported to be one of the fastest-growing in South Asia. In the last few decades, the country witnessed a sharp growth of a social class with discretionary income to afford leisure travels. However, this is dubious that the existing tourism policy is inclusive, and has been able to facilitate a sustainable development trajectory of the tourism industry. This study comprehensively reviews the tourism policy implications and addresses complexities at the intersections of the public, private, and community sectors in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that an inclusive tourism policy and relevant instruments are essential to support and (de)regulate the thriving tourism industry of the country. This chapter further identifies the tourism product and service demands of the emerging social class and required policy interventions to promote and manage tourism in the popular destinations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Airey, D., & Ruhanen, L. (2014). Tourism policy-making in Australia: A national and state perspective. Tourism Planning & Development, 11(2), 149–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amore, A., & Hall, C. M. (2016). From governance to meta-governance in tourism? Re-incorporating politics, interests and values in the analysis of tourism governance. Tourism Recreation Research, 41(2), 109–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amore, A., & Hall, C. M. (2017). National and urban public policy in tourism. Towards the emergence of a hyperneoliberal script? International Journal of Tourism Policy, 7(1), 4–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bangladesh Planning Division. (n.d.). Fifth five-year plan. Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2LsKECs. Accessed: the 5th May 2020.

  • Cairney, P. (2012). Understanding public policy: Theories and issues. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, D., & Airey, D. (2001). Tourism policy in Jamaica: A tale of two governments. Current Issues in Tourism, 4(2–4), 94–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheong, S., & Miller, M. (2000). Power and tourism: A Foucauldian observation. Annals of Tourism Research, 27(2), 371–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connelly, G. (2007). Testing governance—A research agenda for exploring urban tourism competitiveness policy: The case of Liverpool 1980–2000. Tourism Geographies, 9(1), 84–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, T., Hu, T., & Ma, Y. (2019). Regional policy and tourism: A quasi-natural experiment. Annals of Tourism Research, 74, 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dredge, D., & Jamal, T. (2015). Progress in tourism planning and policy: A post-structural perspective on knowledge production. Tourism Management, 51, 285–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dredge, D., Jenkins, J., & Whitford, M. (2011). Tourism policy and planning: Historical development and contemporary challenges. In D. Dredge & J. Jenkins (Eds.), Stories of practice: Tourism planning and policy (pp. 13–34). Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Environmental Justice Foundation. (2020). Climate change in Bangladesh. Retrieved from: https://ejfoundation.org/reports/climate-displacement-in-bangladesh. Accessed: the 7th May 2020.

  • Fayos-Solá, E. (1996). Tourism policy: A midsummer night’s dream? Tourism Management, 17(6), 405–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • General Economics Division. (2015). Seventh five-year plan, FY2016—FY2020: Accelerating growth, empowering citizens. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2Wv37o1. Accessed: the 5th May 2020.

  • Hassan, A., & Kokkranikal, J. (2018). Tourism policy planning in Bangladesh: Background and some steps forward. e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR), 15(1), 79–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healy, N., & Jamal, T. (2017). Enclave tourism. In L. Lowry (Ed.), The SAGE international encyclopedia of travel and tourism (pp. 418–419). Thousand Oaks: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoque, M. A., Ara, E., & Rahman, M. S. U. (2018). Forest-based tourism in Bangladesh: Challenges unveiled for the Sundarbans. European Journal of Business and Management, 10(36), 97–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hossain, B., & Wadud, S. N. (2020). Potential unexplored? Tourism and economic growth of Bangladesh. Journal of Tourismology, 6(1), 1–15. Retrieved from https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/62219531/Potential_Unexplored__Tourism_and_Economic_Growth_of_Bangladesh__694179_-98206520200227-89243-1bqgt15.pdf?1582855055=&response-contentdisposition=inline%3B+filename%3DPotential_unexplored_Tourism_and_economi.pdf&Expires=1596137687&Signature=FKV7VkLTSYjwt8ZKU2vupP51p7o3KiEh8wrEcWJw-XXKqTR3uU6o6EyOyWAy6Doc8szWysd6frGsOQcd4ySPlLIH0F8C7pD1~BnviwdM7pzqCZkR0bPRIc~djA8MnIGWH4kzf3ZDfEjvz2zasiH-7zIcdrXTh68zWqFdGI2WVbAM8IiD0dpGWmJejdxPKTRzCRGdbJjrhu17wHzUDe2W9yNsSXK1CibwPRhmrWTxP6Rd4tD-jZ2KZ23ekUyqNicoKKGuhDhmwNFqrM78OkV06EPd~xeVV2J-Ru4QW~-0y~x~hsozkFh4Mu08vlIIoq6gtAXyoWn21VTfXlSfq225Q__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

  • Jenkins, J. M., Hall, C. M., & Mkono, M. (2014). Tourism and public policy: Contemporary debates and future directions. In A. Lew, C. M. Hall, & A. Williams (Eds.), Companion to tourism (pp. 542–555). Malden: Wiley Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessop, B. (2011). Metagovernance. In M. Bevir (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of governance (pp. 106–123). London: SAGE.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kennell, J., & Chaperon, S. (2013). Analysis of the UK Government’s 2011 tourism policy. Cultural Trends, 22(3–4), 278–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khondker, B. H., & Ahsan, T. (2015). Background paper on tourism sector. Dhaka: Bangladesh Planning Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krutwaysho, O., & Bramwell, B. (2010). Tourism policy implementation and society. Annals of Tourism Research, 37, 670–691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. (2010). National tourism policy-2010. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2y0VrRd. Accessed: the 21st Jan 2020.

  • Pforr, C. (2005). Three lenses of analysis for the study of tourism public policy: A case from Northern Australia. Current Issues in Tourism, 8(4), 323–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, M. S. -U-., & Shahid, R. B. (2012). A growing dilemma of tourism diffusion and sustainability: Wows and woes for Bangladesh eco-tourism. UTMS Journal of Economics, 3(1), 57–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, M. S. -U-., Muneem, A. A., Avi, M. A. R., & Sobhan, S. (2018). Can rural tourism promote sustainable development goals? Scoping rural tourism prospects in rustic Bangladesh. Rajshahi University Journal of Business Studies, 11(1), 131–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos-Lacueva, R., Clave, S. A., & Saladie, Ã’. (2017). The vulnerability of coastaltourism destinations to climate change: The usefulness of policy analysis. Sustainability, 9(11), 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, N. (2011). Tourism policy: A strategic review. Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard, V. A., & Fennell, D. A. (2019). Progress in tourism public sector policy: Toward an ethic for non-human animals. Tourism Management, 73, 134–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simmons, D. G. (2017). Neoliberal politics and the fate of tourism. In R. W. Butler & W. Suntikul (Eds.), Tourism and political change (pp. 9–24). Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Telfer, D. J., & Hashimoto, A. (2015). Tourism, development and international studies. In R. Sharpley & D. J. Telfer (Eds.), Tourism and development: Concepts and issues (pp. 400–427). Bristol: Channel View Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Telfer, D. J., & Sharply, R. (2016). Tourism and development in the developing world. Oxon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • The World Bank. (2019). International tourism, number of arrivals. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL. Accessed: the 1st May 2020.

  • The World Bank. (2020). GDP per capita (current US$)–Bangladesh. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?locations=BD. Accessed: the 5th May 2020.

  • Tribe, J. (2008). Tourism: A critical business. Journal of Travel Research, 46, 245–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WTTC. (2018). Travel and tourism economic impact 2018: Bangladesh. London: World Travel and Tourism Council.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Shoeb-Ur- Rahman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Rahman, M.SU., Faisal, A., Hassan, A., Hoque, M.A. (2020). Tourism Policy in Bangladesh: A Critical Perspective. In: Rahman, M.SU., Hassan, A. (eds) Tourism Policy and Planning in Bangladesh. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7014-8_18

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics