Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan has said measures will be taken to incorporate tourism education into the secondary school curriculum to create skilled manpower in the leisure and tourism sector.
“We have already included tourism in university-level education to create skilled manpower in the tourism sector. Now it is the time to include this subject in the secondary school curriculum, and we will discuss the matter with the education ministry”, the minister outlined the plan during a meeting with the executive committee of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) at the Secretariat on Sunday.
Pledging to provide all types of facilities to stakeholders of the private tourism sector, the minister said they should come forward to boost the development of the industry.
Discussing the abolition of advance tax, which is a long-standing demand of the country’s private tour operators, the minister said he will talk with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) about the abolition of such a tax on the total foreign currency bills collected by inbound tour operators through banking channels.
Faruk said he will also talk with the NBR about duty-free vehicle imports for tour operators to provide transport services for tourists.
The minister said discussions are ongoing with the home ministry about expanding the provision of on-arrival visas and introducing e-visas for foreign tourists.
In addition, Faruk said, as part of a tourism promotion strategy, international social media celebrities are getting invitations to visit Bangladesh and showcase the country’s unparalleled beauty to the world.
