Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today stressed the need for taking prompt measures to make Islamic tourism a global business brand considering its huge potential since it witnesses 8.3 per cent annual growth.
“The value of Islamic tourism market will increase to $243 billion by 2021 with an annual 8.3 per cent growth. So, all-out efforts and roadmap aims at promoting Islamic tourism a global business brand is urgently required,” she said while inaugurating the two-day “Dhaka OIC City of Tourism 2019 “ at a hotel in Dhaka city.
The prime minister has also proposed allocating a separate tourist spot for the OIC member states in Cox’s Bazar.
Calling upon all the OIC member states to work together for flourishing Islamic tourism, she said, “In realising our targets (to be a developed and prosperous nation), flourish of tourism sector can play an important role. In this case, Islamic tourism is the best possible area where we have the opportunity and potential to work together.”
Bangladesh has been playing a significant role in upholding solidarity and unity among the Muslims following Islamic values of fraternity, justice, cohesion and inclusion as a whole since Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman joined the second OIC conference in 1974, the premier said.
Referring to a report of Thomson-Reuters that forecasted tremendous potential of Islamic tourism, the premier said, “Muslim populations globally spent a total of $151 billion on travel in 2015 (excluding Hajj and Umrah). Of the amount, OIC member states contributed to $109 billion.”
By 2020, the world’s Muslim population will be 26 per cent of the entire world population while the number of Muslim tourists will rise to 180 million from 156 million within that year, she mentioned.
Urging the OIC member states to encourage their private sector entities in tourism infrastructure and development projects, the prime minister said, “I hope appropriate steps will be taken in order to promote intra-OIC tourism through easing visa for investment promotion, branding, standardisation and capacity building.”
In this context, she said Islamic Economy has already flourished as a new phenomenon. Because of acceptability of the Islamic products as well as services among a large number of consumers, there is a huge potentiality of flourish of Islamic products and services across the globe.
Halal foods, Islamic finance, halal pharmaceuticals as well as cosmetics and halal tourism are among the growing sectors of Islamic economy, she said, adding enhanced cooperation and partnerships of both public and private sectors of the OIC member states are needed for flourishing these sectors.
The prime minister, however, hoped that the grand celebration of “Dhaka OIC City of Tourism 2019” will open a new door for cooperation of sustainable tourism development, acceleration of intra-OIC tourism and cooperation among member states which will ultimately contribute to economic development of OIC member states, BSS reports.
Spelling out Bangladesh’s potential in tourism sector, Sheikh Hasina said, “You will be happy to know that Bangladesh has the diversified tourism attractions. The longest unbroken sea beach in Cox’s Bazar, UNESCO world heritage site and the largest mangrove forest the Sundarbans, ancient and modern archaeological, and Islamic sites etc are the major tourist attractions in Bangladesh.”
In addition, she said, “We all know that tourism is the fastest growing sector greatly contributing to the generation of foreign exchange and employment across the world.”
“Utilising the huge potential of tourism in the country, we are trying to create employment and income opportunities for the people,” she continued.
Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali, Chairman on parliamentary standing committee of the Civil Aviation Ministry R A M Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, the ministry secretary M Muhibul Haque, and OIC Assistant Secretary General Musa Kulaklikaya, also spoke on the occasion.
An audio-video presentation on Dhaka was also screened on the occasion.
