A proposal for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

Submitted by: Planner Ms. Shaing Shaing U Nini

2010

A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

Chief Strategic Planner: Shaing Shaing U Nini Email: shaing_nin@yahoo.com Contact no: +8801747906918

To create Bandarban as a unique and pleasant place for national and international tourists by 2020 with the following ideologies: honour the local culture, tradition and indigenous heritage of Bandarban Hill District; support and enhance the quality of life for residents; value and perpetuate the natural and cultural resources of Bandarban; engender mutual respect and partnership among all stakeholders; support a vital and sustainable economy; and provide a unique, memorable and enriching visitor experience

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

Executive Summary:
Tourism is one of many activities in a community or region that requires planning and coordination. Planning is the process of identifying objectives and defining and evaluating methods of achieving them. This paper proposes to draft a comprehensive strategic plan for Bandarban Hill district (BHD) on tourism with the consideration of all the tourism resources, organizations, markets, and programs of this district. It will also consider economic, environmental, social, and institutional aspects of tourism development. BHD is a unique place with unlimited potentialities. By a proper work plan all these potentialities can be turned into reality. Over the last few decades, several countries have looked towards tourism as a means of promoting development and economic growth. Today, it is one of the worlds most important and world's fastest growing industries, employing 74.2 million persons worldwide or 2.8 percent of total world employment. It also accounts for approximately 3.8 percent of total world output in 2005 (WTTC 2005). Combining both the direct and related economic activities of tourism, the industry is estimated to employ 221 million persons or 8.3 percent of total world employment and contribute 10.6 percent of total world output (Chamber News, Nov. 1995 p.4).

While travel was once an uncertain and hazardous event but it is now an easily planned and coordinated adventure that has been revolutionized since middle of last century by vast improvements in transportation in general and air transportation in particular, computer technology, and networks of international communication. In many develop and developing countries, tourism have been designed as a leading industry for the purpose of stimulating economic development The World Travel & Tourism Council Measures that by 2011, the Travel & Tourism economy will constitute: 11.0 per cent of global GDP, support 260.5 million

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

jobs worldwide. This is 9 % of total employment or 1 in every 11.2 jobs (Siddiqi, 2003). Tourism offers immense potential on employment generation, poverty alleviation and maintaining ecological balance. It is relatively modern phenomenon, which plays an intensely important role in the economic development of any country (Kendell 1988, p.43). According to World Tourism Organization (WTO), it is one of the world's biggest industries is set to double within 15 years to reach a billion tourists by year 2010. The contribution of this sector to the GDP of many countries is significant. In China, it was 3.64 % in 1995 followed by Singapore 5.2% (The Bangladesh Monitor, 1996). In the year 1998, the number of tourists in the USA increased by 1.4% and income by 2.1%, in Europe these percentages were 3% and 3.6%, in the middle East 5.3% and 6.4% and in South Asia 5% and 2.8% respectively (Madrid AFT 1999 p. 12). The overall economic impact of travel and tourism in South Asia is expected to contribute 4.8% to gross domestic product (GDP) in 2003, rising to 5.3% in 2013. The industry is projected to provide employment to about 29 million people (5.2% of the total) in 2003, and to almost 36 million (5.4%) in 2013 (ADB, 2003).

After a short lull following the September 11 episodes in the USA, global tourist movement has been on the ascending track again. The tourist flow maintained its healthy magnitude in the Asian region though the Afghanistan war and tension between Pakistan and India. In the South Asian region particularly, tourism industry is ever vibrant and growing steadily. With growing international interest in travelling through Asia, tourism industry is taking roots in Bangladesh. (The Daily Star, Feb 1, 2002). In Bangladesh, BHD is unique place of nature and people. This region has unlimited future potentiality in the tourism sector that will thrive the local economy. To give a good start, this region requires a future plan to utilise its resources and time.

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

Though the central government has officially announced BHD as a tourist destination; in reality, this place requires more practical approaches and attentions rather than paperwork in making it a real tourist destination. As a part of BHDCs initiative to the sustainable economic development of BHD, and as a strategic objectives of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board- 2011 , this strategic planning will attempt to make some efforts to the balanced economic development of this district. This draft is a blue print of a comprehensive strategic plan for the tourism development of BHD by maximising all the potential benefits and opportunities as well as reducing all the negative impacts for the balanced and sustainable tourism development of the district. The strategic plan for tourism industry of BHD is entirely goal oriented, striving to achieve certain objectives by matching available resources and programs with the needs and demand of people of this region. Within a systematic approach, it will enclose a series of step. Each step will subject to modification and refinement at any stage of the planning process.

There would be six steps in the planning process: 1. Define goals and objectives, 2. Identify the tourism system, 3. Generate alternatives, 4. Evaluate alternatives, 5. Select and implement, 6. Monitor and evaluate. Goals and objectives This strategy and its goals will flow from general community goals and objectives. It will emphasis on how how a tourism plan serves these broader purposes. Is the community seeking

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

a broader tax base, increased employment opportunities, expanded recreation facilities, better educational programs or a higher quality of life? How can tourism contribute to these objectives? It will identify as a means of serving broader community goals, it makes sense to develop plans with more specific tourism development objectives. These are generally defined through a continuing process in which various groups and organizations in a community work collectively to achieve common goals. In the early stages of tourism strategic development, goals may involve establishing organizational structures and collecting information to better identify the tourism system in the community. Later, more precise objectives can be formulated and more specific development and marketing strategies evaluated.

Identifying Tourism System of this place

Tourism is defined in many ways. Generally, tourism involves people travelling outside of their community for pleasure. Definitions differ on the specifics of how far people must travel, whether or not they must stay overnight, for how long, and what exactly is included under travelling for "pleasure". This planning process will analyse whether it will include day visitors, conventioneers, business travellers, people visiting friends and relatives, people passing through, or seasonal residents? Which community resources and organizations serve tourists or could serve tourists? Generally, tourists share community resources with local residents and businesses. Many organizations serve both tourists and locals. This complicates tourism planning and argues for a clear idea of what your tourism plan entails.

To analyse the tourism system of BHD, the process has classified into three subsystems:

(1) Tourism resources:

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This place has to offer many great resources including natural, cultural, human, or capital resources to the national and international tourists. With the innovative ideas and creative thinking BHDC will explore and create new places, spots and destinations as well as will adopt policies related to conservation and protection of the products and properties.

(2) Tourism organizations, and management

To establish a network for coordination among the tourism service providers as well as to establish a management unit for better efficiency will be another major concern.

(3) Tourism markets,

Exploring & Identifying market segment to have a strong market orientation industry to attract tourists would be also one of the major concerns to achieve targeted goals.

Generate Alternative
Generating alternative development and marketing options to meet the goals requires some creative thinking and brainstorming. To create alternative development, this planning will solicit a wide range of options from a diverse group of people including advice from outside the local community. It will also involve a wide range of interrelated development and marketing decisions including market segment, products and price.

Evaluating Alternatives
Tourism development and marketing options are evaluated by assessing the degree to which each option will be able to meet the stated goals and objectives. There are usually two parts to

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

a systematic evaluation of tourism development and marketing alternatives: (1) Feasibility analysis, and (2) Impact assessment. These two tasks are interrelated, but think of them as trying to answer two basic questions: (1) Can it be done?, and (2) What are the consequences? A decision to take a specific action must be based both on feasibility and desirability.

Impact assessment
When evaluating alternative development and marketing strategies it is important to understand the impacts, both positive and negative, of proposed actions. The types of impacts and their importance vary across different communities and proposed actions. Generally, the size, extent, and nature of tourism impacts depend upon various factors including volume of tourist activity relative to local activity, length and nature of tourist contacts with the community, in and the degree area, of concentration/dispersal or differences of local of tourist local activity populations environment,

similarities

between

tourists,

stability/sensitivity

economy,

and social structure, how well tourism is planned, controlled, and managed.

Impact of Tourism
Tourism industry of Bandarban Hill District and its development will impact on many things such as economic, social, and environmental so on. Therefore, this strategic plan will consider all these co-related factors which are as follows:

Economic Impact:
Tourism related services industrys annual sales, local governments revenue, general publics income, purchasing capacity of the local, employment rate, fiscal impact-taxes and

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infrastructural development would be the major indicators of the positive changes for the economic development. BHDC will annually analyse and monitor the economic development process.

Environmental Impacts:
For the proper use of Lands, waters, air, infrastructure related to the tourism industries as well as to save flora & fauna BHDC will develop a comprehensive strategy or policy for the environmental protection of Bandarban Hill District.

Social Impacts:
As a response to social impacts this policy paper will emphasis to population structure & distribution, values, education, occupation, safety and security, congestion & crowding, community spirit & cohesion quality of life.

Impacts on Local Government:

Local government provides most of the infrastructure and many of the services essential to tourism development, a fiscal impact analysis evaluates the impact of tourism on the community's tax base and local government costs. It entails predicting the additional infrastructure and service requirements of tourism development, estimating their costs, deciding who will pay for/provide them, and how. Will tourism generate increased local government revenue through fees and charges, local sales or use taxes, increased property values or property tax rates, or larger local shares of central government tax revenues?

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

Impacts on Business, Industry and Residents

Businesses in BHD that are directly serving tourists benefit from sales to tourists. Through secondary impacts, tourism activity also benefits a wide range of businesses in a community. If most products and services for tourists are bought outside of the local area, much of the tourist spending "leaks" out of the local economy. The more a community is "self-sufficient" in serving tourists, the larger the local impact. Therefore BHDC will provide an ongoing support to the development of local businesses and services industry.

Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation: Implementation, monitoring and evaluation are critical steps in the success of a tourism plan. This project plan will set specific actions that will be prescribed with clearly defined responsibilities and timetables. Monitor progress in implementing the plan and evaluate the success of the plan in meeting its goals and objectives on a regular basis. Plans generally need to be adjusted over time due to changing goals, changing market conditions, and unanticipated impacts. Therefore, an especial monitoring and evaluation systems will introduce into this planning efforts.

Costs & Benefits (Analysis): It would be a prime question for any investor what would be the benefits from this investment? What we can gain and community will achieve from this investment? As the Government of Bangladesh and the local government of Bangladesh are very enthusiastic to invest on tourism sector and work forward. It would be a good start to have a proper plan, a road map. In this systematic world, without a proper planning nothing is

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

achievable. By using a proper strategic plan, risk factors can be minimised. On the other hand, with a maximum utilisation of opportunities, certain goals can be accomplished. There are some best possible outcomes from this Tourism Strategic Plan for Bandarban Hill District. The Potential benefits from the successful implementation of this project can identified in various categories i.e. Economic, social, cultural, and heritage.

Economic Outcomes and Benefit: In terms of economic benefit there are definitely certain changes and development will happen which are as follows: A great number of job opportunities will create as the strategic plan started to implement Annual revenue of the local government will certainly increase as this strategic will explore how it can be generated; Private sectors investors will increase; Local retailers business which will grow and thrive local economy; As a result of these the local communitys living standard will be better.

Social Benefits: As the tourism industry started to grow, local indigenous communitys and well as general public will be aware of tourism industrys opportunity which they can Education ratio among the local indigenous community and local community can be increased while living standard increase;

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

A successful implementation of this project will assist to handle visible and invisible social degradation and other issues (which will be identified by local community and leaders of the Bandarban Hill District).

Cultural Benefits: Local Indigenous community will get a better chance to exercise their culture in a broader way with respect which will help it to become more popular to general public, Through the successful implementation of the planning, heritage products will be preserved and saved.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

BHDC will set up a structured and better system to make sure the development process flows well and contribute to the development of Bandarban Hill District. A quarterly evaluation system can be introduced to follow up regular development and growth in tourism sector of Bandarban as well as an annual report will be published to general public.

VISION STATEMENT
Considering the international growth of tourism industry and the local features of this area, the best possible strategic vision for BHD would be:
To create BHD as a unique and pleasant place for national and international tourists by 2020 with the following ideologies: Honour the people and indigenous heritage of Bandarban;

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

To create BHD as a unique and pleasant place for national and international tourists

Support and enhance the quality of life for residents; Value and perpetuate the natural and cultural resources of BHD;

Engender mutual respect and partnership among all stakeholders;

Support a vital and sustainable economy; and Provide a unique, memorable and enriching visitor experience.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

To provide diversified and quality tourism products unique to BHD that enhances the Bandarban visitor experience, and enriches residents' quality of life this planning process sets a smarter goal and objectives. In making the vision true, the planning process has attempt cooperated with all relevant parties in the community. Therefore, it did not make pre-set any objectives without having a proper and comprehensive study as well as without having community and its leaders input in this entire strategic planning process. To achieve the vision for 2011-2020 this strategic paper sets a broader long term and a short term objectives to achieve.

Long Term Objects

The long term objects comprises with various subjects to develop the tourism industry including places, public properties significant to tourists, culture, nature and heritage products;

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as well as, promote the business sectors by training, marketing and controlling for a balanced development of Tourism sector of BHD. Bandarban Hill District Council (BHDC) has sets up the following objectives to develop and sustain the growth of this industry.

First, to initiate policy to protect the exiting tourism sites within a sustainability perspective, and thus create high quality viable environment.

Second, to adopt sustainable environment policy to protect all living plants, animals, flora, fauna, birds and surroundings.

Third, to consider tourism as an effective tool for forecasting social and economic development of backward regions and disadvantaged group.

Next, to adopt policy and regulations that can contribute to generate revenue for the local governments.

Next, to develop policy in managing structural development in tourism declared area e.g. building construction regulations or parking policy

Next, to adopt policy on proper waste management that can protect environment. Next, to implement policy to promote tourism and raise awareness in public, private companies and NGOs especially ecotourism, plateau and agricultural tourism.

Next, to initiate policy that appropriate governance mechanisms are used, in which central and local government and civil actors can collaborate and cooperate in decision making process related to tourism development.

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

Next, to promote local productions, local businesses involved with tourism and tourism related product. Next, to harmonise sectoral development policies and targets with those of national development schemes. However, further policy can be changed and amended for the welfare of the tourism industry.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES There might be some general objectives can be set out for the local governments as general objectives which are as follows: To identify the tourist spots and declare them as a public property; To set up a proper boundary line for every tourist spot and property to make sure they are protected for all the time; To create and discover new destinations , places and spots for tourism development; To set up a strong network and relationship with community to protect local tourism products and destinations; To identify and save the cultural heritage products unique to local community; To generate maximum tax from the tourism industry, and establish the sector as one of the biggest revenue generators of this district. To involve local community with businesses related to this industry, and assist beginners and grass root levels entrepreneurs by providing necessary support; To conduct project related to build awareness on providing quality customer care to tourists;

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

To build awareness among the community to protect their own heritage, culture and environment soundly; To establish a security network to ensure maximum safety for tourist, as well as for general public. To stop and protect all the potentially hazardous elements related to this industry, and make the local community to be aware of them, and train them how to protect own cultural identity while using as a product in the market; To promote in branding tourist products and services to national and international market; To protect natural environment and surroundings by reducing less wastes and carbon emissions, and establish a GREEN TOURISM concept. To establish community oriented tourism such as COMMUNITY TOURISM which will reflect on short term activities which will be carried out throughout the year. To promote by branding product, service or place such as THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN BANGLADEH.

GREEN TOURISM

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

GREENEST PLACE in BANGLADESH

Short Term Objectives

To gear up the long term objectives a series of smarter short term objectives can be introduced as per need basis. The short term activities will be updated and reviewed as

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

per demand and situations. Community Feedback system can be introduced to assess satisfaction, achievement, community impression and industries and services related to this industry. Primarily, BHDC has set up a very simple short term objectives for the advancement of this industry which are as follows: To conduct regular basis community awareness day. Like cleaning day of Bandarban, We love Bandarban, We care Heritage, Conduct research to understand the tourists trends of every year Training the young and people related to tourism industry

Strategies for strengthening the tourism industry

To exhibit a planning approach that supports economic growth, is physically applicable and socially oriented and fairly reflects the principle of sustainable tourism of Bandarban Hill District.

Organisational strategy:
To boost investment opportunity and viable development of the region by designing incentives schemes and friendly regulation that would make tourism projects socially acceptable and economically feasible.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT Analysis):

SWAT analysis is a very classic and effective way that provides direction and

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serves as a basis for the development of strategic plan. A process generates information that is helpful in matching to this planning, goals, programs, and capacities to the social environment in which it operates. This planning process will consider following these factors that includes:

Strengths

Positive tangible and intangible attributes, Strengths that are under control to the implementers.

. Weakness

Factors that are within this place those detract from its ability to attain the desired goal.

Which areas might the planning process will improve?

.Opportunities Opportunities which are exist in this place, which will propel the planning process. With no doubts Bandarban Hill District is naturally a heavenly beautiful hill area. Its especial feature

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A draft for Bandarban Tourism Strategic Plan-2011-2020

and uniqueness offers a great opportunity to the development of tourism industry. BHDC will endeavour all the potential opportunities that can contribute to a sustainable tourism development growth.

Threats

External factors, beyond control, which could place the mission or operation at risk. The planning process may benefit by having contingency plans to address them if they should occur.

Classify them by their seriousness and probability of occurrence

This strategic paper attempts to highlight the scopes, chances, opportunities and actions that need to be considered to operate the pre-set activities towards achieving the aim. Considering the current scenario of Bandarban Hill District, it is obvious that this place and the tourism industry are emerging without any proper plan. Without having proper attention and planning process, no development work cannot be accomplished smoothly, therefore; to lead to a balanced and smarter development , this blue print includes intellectual persons, academia, community leaders and policy makers under an umbrella, to explore for a better economic development in the name of working smarter Towards a Sustainable Future. A policy paper is nothing until it gets fuel to move up. Determined and a proper authority with a sets of goal as well as active involvement of relevant stakeholders can make things happen. In the mean time, BHDC will adopt specific work plan within its budget and seek collaboration from different development agencies to achieve targeted goals for the betterment of the local community through the economic development of this sector. Besides, time to time

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BHDC will review, assess and amend this strategic plan as per need and will budge ahead.

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Profile of consultant:
This entire strategic plan has been prepared by Planner Shaing Shaing U Nini, she is an accredited Planner and member of BIP (Bangladesh Institute of Planning), member of RAJUK (Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakko) &Planner of PIA (Planning Institute of Australia).

STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2020Planning Institute of Australia Strategic

Plan 2010-2015 Page 19 of 19

For more information please contact us:

Bandarban Hill District Council Meghla, Bandarban Sadar, Bandarban Hill District. Contact number: Email to shaing_nin@yahoo.com

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