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A STUDY ON DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES OF TOURISM IN BANGLADESH Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree Of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN MARKETING By Md. Khairul Islam Registration No.: 0151 Session: 2009-2010 Under the supervision of Professor Dr. Md. Ashraful Islam Chowdhury DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING FACULTY OF BUSINESS STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA DHAKA-1000 JANUARY, 2014 Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis Dedication This work is dedicated to My parents and My beloved wife A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh i Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis DECLARATION I hereby declare that the work which is being presented in the thesis entitled “A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh” is an authentic record of my own work. I also declare that the matter contained in this thesis has not been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma at any other university or institution. Md. Khairul Islam Session: 2009-2010 Department of Marketing Faculty of Business Studies University of Dhaka A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh ii Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled “A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh” submitted by Md. Khairul Islam to University of Dhaka, is a record of original research work carried out by him under my supervision in the Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka. Md. Khairul Islam has worked sincerely for preparing his thesis and the thesis is, in my opinion, worthy of consideration for the award of degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing in accordance with the rules and regulations of this University. I believe that this research work is a unique one and has not been submitted elsewhere for the award of any degree. Professor Dr. Md. Ashraful Islam Chowdhury Department of Marketing University of Dhaka A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh iii Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis ABSTRACT Tourism has grown from the pursuits of a privileged few to a mass movement of people with the urge to discover the unknown environment, to undergo new experiences and the desire to be both educated and entertained. Tourism, today, has become a very emerging and the fastest growing industry both in the global and rural economy, and particularly in the developing countries. The importance of tourism as an instrument of economic development and employment generation is recognized all over the world. The data released by different global bodies, including the World Tourism Organization (WNWTO) indicate significant contribution of tourism to country's GDP and foreign exchange reserves. Bangladesh is a land of scenic beauty of verdant forests, reverie countryside and long structures of sun-bathed beaches, fearsome wilds, meandering rivers and venerable shrine, which hold high potential for tourism. This country needs proper strategy and policy to attract both foreign and domestic tourists. Government as well as private sectors may come forward to create the base of the tourism industry. Though BPC and other private sectors are playing an important role for the development of tourism in Bangladesh, it is not enough to compete with many other tourist destination countries. Given the potential that prevailed in Bangladesh in terms of the country’s possession of a diversified tourism product-base and also given the congenialities created by the objective conditions, tourism industry of Bangladesh has not grown to the desired level. Therefore, it is important to examine to what extent the country was proactive satisfactorily to capture tourism opportunities in a meaningful way. Against the above backdrop, the study focuses on the issues relevant to the development strategies and the development of tourism industry in Bangladesh. It presents the findings of surveys undertaken in the course of the study and throws light on the profile, preferences and perceptions regarding Bangladesh as a tourist destination country of the foreign tourist to coming Bangladesh, Executive of BPC, Members of TOAB, and Managers and Receptionist A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh iv Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis of Hotel & Restaurants in Bangladesh. In each section, the study also highlights the areas of weakness where priority should be given if Bangladesh is to promote herself as a destination in the global tourism market. In addition, this report also examines the association between destination dimension parameters index for Bangladesh and other neighboring countries to reveal the values of seventy nine variables, based on the data released by the World Economic Forum in its Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013. A modest attempt in the study has been to delineate the analysis of the tourism master plan aimed at bringing the economy to a higher growth path and making it more competitive, flexible and adaptable and the analysis of the present situation of the tourism sector in Bangladesh to catch the real picture existing in the industry. To draw tourism development goals and objectives, the analysis of Bangladesh tourism vision, starting points for future tourism development, global and regional trends, competitive destinations and SWOT analysis have also been considered. Finally, this research comments on the development of a comprehensive tourism strategy and implementation that will guide in developing a tourism sector giving importance to forming of a strong and sustainable economy throughout Bangladesh. A set of recommendations have also been put forward for sustainable development of tourism industry in Bangladesh. A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh v Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis Acknowledgment I would like to express my profound gratitude and sincere appreciation to my honorable supervisor Prof. Dr. Md. Ashraful Islam Chowdhury, Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh for his guidance, constant encouragement and above all his sharp and invaluable critiques. I deeply acknowledge his overwhelming generosity with his time, suggestions and insightful comments. His experience and keen interest in this field have been my fortune. My regards also due to Prof. Dr. Md. Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan, Chairman, Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh for providing me all research facilities from the department without any famine. I wish to express my deep gratitude to Prof. Dr. Belayet Hossain, and Prof. Dr. Haripada Bhattacharjee, Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka for their valuable suggestions and constructive comments on my thesis. I am also indebted to Prof. Dr. Abu Naser Ahmed Ishtiaque, Department of Marketing for his suggestion on the subject of the organization of thesis presentation. I had to study further to answer each of the comments they made, and I believe at the end it enriched my knowledge. I am grateful to all of my respected teachers of the Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh for their useful advice and generous help during the thesis. I am also grateful to my Head and colleagues of the Department of Business Administration, Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh for their inspiration and cooperation. While pursuing the research, I was in contact with many people, including Bangladesh Porjoton Corporation officials, Tour operator members, Managers and Receptionists of Hotel and Restaurants. They have abundantly contributed to my understanding and thoughts. In fact, this thesis would not have been completed without their constant and inspiring support. I acknowledge the debt to all the helping institutions like the Bureau of Economic Research, A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh vi Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis University of Dhaha, the central Library of University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Planning Commission and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. I also express my thanks to the foreign tourists, especially in Shah Jalal International Airport for giving their patience response and suggestions. My sincere thanks to the authority of Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh for providing me necessary facilities during my research works. It is impossible to express in words my indebtedness to my wife Jenat Yeasmin for her sacrifice, assistance and motivation during the preparation of this thesis work. Finally, I must acknowledge my debt to my parents for whom I have been able to see the beautiful sights and sounds of the world. Let me wind up by noting that it is beyond lexis to thank All Mighty Allah in whom I relentlessly believe for all the miraculous ways in which I have been prepared for an eternal cause, this thesis probably not so noteworthy an outcome thereof. Md. Khairul Islam A Study on Development Strategies of Tourism in Bangladesh vii Dhaka University Institutional Repository Ph.D. Thesis Table of Contents Declaration.................................................................................................................................ii Certificate..................................................................................................................................iii Abstract....................................................................................................................................
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