Economic Reporter :
Bangladesh Bank is going to include tourism sector into its policy for the first time considering immense business potential of the country's travel and hospitality industry.
"We do include potential business sectors in our policy. For the first time, we are going to include tourism sector in it," Central Bank Deputy Governor M Abu Hena Raji Hasan said in a seminar at a city hotel on Saturday.
He said the central bank will take all possible steps so that bank and financial institutions can work more closely with the tourism sector.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon spoke as the chief guest at the seminar titled "Role of Bank and Financial Sector in Tourism", organized by Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB).
Welcoming the Bangladesh bank initiative, the minister said Bangladesh tourism sector is advancing with a fast pace in last three years.
According to the Tourism Police, Menon said the numbers of domestic tourists was nearly one crore in 2016. "As per statistics, one tourist creates 11 employments. So I can claim tourism sector was the source of 11 crore employments in last year." Referring to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's dream to create employment at every house, the minister said the tourism sector has initiated the implementation of the Prime Ministers' dream of creating jobs for every house.
As the special guest, former governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr M Farashuddin said the number of elderly people of the country is 1.3 crore and a large number of them want to travel different parts of Bangladesh in their retired life.
"If we would initiate special arrangement for the senior citizens to visit country's different exciting tourist spots, it can give a big boost to the tourism industry," he said.
Islami Bank Chairman Arastoo Khan, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Dr Aparup Choudhury, Bangladesh Tourism Board CEO Dr M Nasiruddin, Bangladesh Tour Operator Association (TOAB) President Taufiq Uddin Ahmed and Researcher of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Toufiqul Islam Khan also spoke among others.