INTERNSHIP REPORT

ON
“Problems and Prospects of Quality education on Tourism in
Bangladesh: A Particular Emphasis on the Tourism and
Hospitality Management (THM) Department of The People’s
University of Bangladesh (PUB)”

Supervised by
Sharmin Shabnam Rahman
Senior Lecturer
BRAC Business School
BRAC University

Prepared by
Jashim Uddin Sarker
Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A)
ID # 11 26 40 13
Date of Submission: September 09, 2014
 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
09th September, 2014

Ms. Sharmin Shabnam Rahman

Senior Lecturer

BRAC Business School

BRAC University

66, Mohakhali Dhaka-1212

Subject: Submission of the Internship Report

Dear Madam,

Please find herewith my internship report titled “Problems and Prospects of Quality education
on Tourism in Bangladesh: A Particular Emphasis on the Tourism and Hospitality
Management (THM) Department of The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB)”. I have
prepared this report as part of my internship program. I have tried my best to fulfill the
requirement of the report. This internship project has given me the opportunity to explore one of
the most important aspects of the tourism industry particularly-Problems and Prospects of
Quality education on Tourism in Bangladesh and expand my knowledge thereby.
The report is worthy to me as it helped me to gain experience from the practical field and it also
gave me the chance to tourism industry in Bangladesh. I must here that extremely grateful to you
for your valuable guidance, tireless effort and constant attention as and when required in
accomplishing the report.
I apologize in advance if there is any unintentional mistake made in this report. I shall be pleased
to answer any query you think necessary as and when needed.

With kind regards,

……………………….

( Jashim Uddin Sarker )

ID: 11 26 40 13

i
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all I am grateful to almighty Allah for blessing me in completing the report. No noble
achievement cab be achieved by an individual without help of others. I am indebted to a number
of people for their kind recommendation, submission, direction, co operation, and their
collaboration.

First I specially thanks and appreciation to my honorable supervisor Ms. Sharmin Shabnam
Rahman, Senior Lecturer, BRAC Business School, BRAC University, for his inspirational
guidance, sensible advice and affectionate encouragement to carry out my works as well as in
preparing this internship report, without which it would not be possible for me to complete this
project.

Very sincerely, my heartfelt thanks go to my supervisor, Mr. Moniruzzaman Mollah, Chairman

of the dept. of Tourism and Hospitality Management of PUB for his guidance and evocations for
this report. This report could not have been completed without his co-operation and valuable
guidance.

My cordial thanks go to Md. Shakil Ahammed (Sr. Lecturer of the dept.) who gave me valuable
information and guidance.

I am privileged my enjoying assistance and guidance of all the faculties and employees of The
People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB), for supporting and giving me pleasurable working
experiences and helping me prepare this report.

Finally I would like to pay my deep gratitude to my wife, Shakina Ismail, who continuously
supported me to complete this report.

ii
Executive Summary:

The following report is done for my Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program

at BRAC University, based on my 5 years’ job experiences at The People’s University of

Bangladesh (PUB). It has three main parts such as a brief introduction about PUB, a short

description about my duties and responsibilities at the institution. The critical observation and

recommendation regarding my job are also included in the report. Most importantly, this essay

has extendedly described a project based on the topic “Problems and Prospects of Quality

education on Tourism in Bangladesh: A Particular Emphasis on the Tourism and Hospitality

Management (THM) Department of The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB).” This project

will help the students, teachers and stakeholders of tourism industry in Bangladesh. Furthermore,

it will assist the policy makers who work on the higher education sector; for instance, university

education of the country.

This report firstly introduces The People's University of Bangladesh (PUB), which is a

non-profit educational institution located at Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established on 14th May,

1996 as a private University under the Private University Act 1992, with a vision to enhance the

opportunities for higher education in Bangladesh. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of

Bangladesh has approved its curriculum. To illustrate nature of the job, my teaching methods

include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical laboratory demonstrations, field work and e-

learning. Multimedia technologies are being increasingly used in most of my classes. I am also

pursuing my own research to contribute to the wider research activities of my department and my

administrative tasks take up a significant part of the working day. I am also taking on a pastoral

role with my students. As a lecturer progress along my career path, may be expected to undertake

a managerial role of the department.

iii
In the third part of the report, it contains the project which elaborates significance of the topic
and other important stuffs regarding quality higher education on tourism in Bangladesh.
Entertainment is one of the major needs of human beings. Since the beginning of civilization,
people amuse themselves while travelling various places. However, Modern Tourism is not
solely visiting new places and having pleasure; it is closely associated with development of a
region (World Tourism Organization UNWTO, 2013). Therefore, tourism is rapidly becoming
one of the burning topics in the world. Tourism is globally a buzzword at present due to its
contribution to a person’s personal and social life as well as economy of a country. Bangladesh is
a wonderful land, capable of attracting national and international tourists, since this country is
blessed with key tourism assets such as beaches, forests, hills, islands, historical places and
archaeological sites (Sarker & Begum, 2013). Yet, tourism industry is not well developed in
order to remarkably contribute to economy of the country though it has huge potentials.
Unfortunately, Bangladesh lacks behind in tourism industry despite its huge potential with a
plenty of natural resources. Therefore, it is vital to investigate this issue and initiate appropriate
actions for positive changes. One of the prominent steps to promote tourism industry in
Bangladesh can be emphasizing on quality higher education on tourism. This paper explores the
prior policies adopted for this industry, analyzes reasons behind their failure and provides fruitful
recommendations for further improvement of tourism. The essay will illustrate the prospects and
problems regarding quality higher education on tourism. It will particularly highlight the
Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM) Department of The People’s University of
Bangladesh (PUB). In fact, the essay will help researchers and policy makers work towards
growing the industry by focusing on higher education on Tourism and Hospitality Management
(THM). This essay explores the existing policies regarding tourism industry in Bangladesh and
discovers reasons behind failure of those strategies. The essay will illustrate the prospects and
problems regarding quality higher education on tourism. It will particularly highlight the
Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM) Department of The People’s University of
Bangladesh (PUB). In fact, the essay will help researchers and policy makers work towards
growing the industry by focusing on higher education on Tourism and Hospitality Management
(THM). Additionally, the paper provides some constructive recommendations, including
emphasis on cooperation among SAARC regions and Bangladesh, to contribute to the
sustainable tourism development in the country.

iv
 Table of Content

S.N. Title Page No.

Letter of Transmittal………………………………………... i
Acknowledgement…………………………………………... ii
Executive Summary………………………………………… iii

CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION 1-6

1.1 Introduction ……………………………………………….. 2
1.2 Background………………………………………………….. 2
1.3 Literature Review…………………………………………… 4
1.4 Methodology and Objectives of the Study…………………. 5

CHAPTER-2 ORGANZATION PROFILE 7-23

2.0 Introduction………………………………………………… 8
2.1 Academic Programs………………………………………… 10
2.2 Code of Conduct and Discipline of PUB…………………... 12
2.2.1 Rules for repeating course………………………….. 12
2.2.2 Rules for Improvement……………………………... 13
2.2.3 Rules of Withdrawal of a course…………………… 14
2.2.4 Transfer of credit and Waiver………………………. 14
2.2.5 Course Registration………………………………… 14
2.2.6 Class Attendance…………………………………… 15
2.2.7 Academic Rules…………………………………….. 15
2.2.8 Course Pattern and Credit Structure………………... 15
2.2.9 Course Designation System………………………… 15
2.2.10 Class Attendance…………………………………… 16
2.2.11 Examination Systems………………………………. 16
2.2.12 Performance Evaluation……………………………. 16
2.2.13 Rules for Repeating Course………………………… 17
2.2.14 Rules of Improvement……………………………… 17
2.2.15 Rules for Withdrawal of a Course………………….. 18
2.2.16 Transfer of Credit and Waiver……………………… 18
2.2.17 Student Advisor…………………………………….. 19
2.2.18 Student Counseling…………………………………. 19
2.3 SWOT analysis of The People's University of
Bangladesh…………………………………………………. 19

CAPTER-3 INERNSHIP EXPERIENCE 24-27

3.1 Nature of the jobs…………………………………………... 25
3.2 Specific responsibilities of the job………………………….. 25
3.3 Critical observations and recommendations………………… 27
CHAPTER-4 PROJECT 28-34
4.1 Summary……………………………………………………... 29
4.2 Challenges of Private Universities in Bangladesh…………… 29
4.3 Quality Higher Education………………………………….... 31
4.4 Objectives of Higher Education……………………………... 33
4.5 Problems behind Quality Higher Education on Tourism……. 34
4.6 Prospects of Quality Education on Tourism in Bangladesh…. 35

CHAPTER-5 ANALYSIS 36-46

5.0 Analysis……………………………………………………… 37
5.1 Constraints behind Failure of Higher Education on Tourism.. 37
5.2 Discussion of Result…………………………………………. 38
5.3 Recommendations…………………………………………… 40
6.0 Conclusion............................................................................... 43
7.0 References…………………………………………………... 44
 Chapter-1

Introduction

1
1.1 Introduction

Entertainment is one of the major needs of human beings. Since the beginning of

civilization, people amuse themselves while travelling various places. However, Modern

Tourism is not solely visiting new places and having pleasure; it is closely associated with

development of a region (World Tourism Organization UNWTO, 2013). Therefore, tourism is

rapidly becoming one of the burning topics in the world. Bangladesh is a wonderful land,

capable of attracting national and international tourists, since this country is blessed with key

tourism assets such as beaches, forests, hills, islands, historical places and archaeological sites

(Sarker & Begum, 2013). Yet, tourism industry is not well developed in order to remarkably

contribute to economy of the country though it has huge potentials. This essay explores the

existing policies regarding tourism industry in Bangladesh and discovers reasons behind failure

of those strategies. The essay will illustrate the prospects and problems regarding quality higher

education on tourism. It will particularly highlight the Tourism and Hospitality Management

(THM) Department of The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB). In fact, the essay will help

researchers and policy makers work towards growing the industry by focusing on higher

education on Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM). Additionally, the paper provides

some constructive recommendations, including emphasis on cooperation among SAARC regions

and Bangladesh, to contribute to the sustainable tourism development in the country.

1.2 Background

Tourism is of different kinds in terms of purposes and types. According to Foster (1985), the

motivational factors of tourism are recreational, cultural and educational including families and

friends’ visits and other miscellaneous purposes like sports’ events, change in weather, curiosity

2
to know other parts of the world and business (Foster, 1985:3). The author defines that

“international tourism refers to visitors of all kinds who go to foreign countries for their

vacations or for business purposes” whereas “domestic tourism refers to local nationals and

residents of a country who travel to other parts of that country for their holidays” (Foster,

1985:9- 10). Recently tourism has been considered a major factor behind economic prosperity of

many countries. Balakrishnan states that “travel and tourism is the second largest global industry

with daily international revenues of approximately US$2 billion, and investments of 12 percent

of world GDP” (Rahman, 2012). Among employment generating industries, tourism ranks as the

largest industry in the world. In 2012 international tourist arrivals grew by 4% to 1.035 billion

(World Tourism Organization UNWTO, 2013). It was a new record for that year in the tourism

industry. Also, international tourism generated US$ 1.3 trillion in export earnings in the same

year (World Tourism Organization UNWTO, 2013). In 2013, the United Nations World Tourism

Organization (UNWTO) forecasts a growth in international tourist arrivals of between 3% and

4%. Moreover, tourism was included in the Declaration of the G20 Leaders meeting in Los

Cabos for the first time in June 2012 as well as in the Outcome Document of the UN Conference

on Sustainable Development (World Tourism Organization UNWTO, 2012). Therefore,

development of tourism industry has become a high priority agenda for most of the countries in

the world today.

Bangladesh possesses potential resources which create innovative destinations for national

and international tourists. This country, endowed with resources and potential for tourism

industry, is located suitably on the east-west air-corridor making it a gateway to the Far East. In

the south-east, the country has the world's longest beach which is 120 km long with soft silvery

sand (Chowdhury, 2014). There are 25 rivers in Bangladesh, which can be turned into suitable

3
places for water sports and adventure. Moreover, the country has several attractive spots for eco-

tourists, unique archaeological sites, cultural heritage and eco-tourism products (Bangladesh

Parjatan Corporation, 2014). Also, many tribal groups, living in different areas, are another gift

of the country. Each cohort has its own culture, tradition, social structure and lifestyle, which is

an exceptional aspect to international tourists. Besides, in general, Bangladeshis are very

hospitable and tourist-friendly. Consequently, this country received a total number of 15, 29,000

visitors and earned US$ 413.00 million during 2006 – 2010 (Ahmad, 2013). Furthermore, Travel

& Tourism has some advantages over other sectors in Bangladesh. Those opportunities include

but not limited to creating jobs, protecting local culture, preserving natural environment and

thereby contributing to sustainable development of the country. Hence, it convinces that

investing on utilizing natural resources and promoting tourism is worth spending for Bangladesh

government.

1.3 Literature Review

Several studies are done on tourism, but they were either general or based on other

countries’ perspectives. For instance, Murthy argues that adopting less formal process of sub-

regional cooperation would help grow tourism industry (Murthy, 2008). Ali and Mohsin claim

that growth of tourism mostly depends on domestic and global environment (Ali & Mohsin,

2008). Katsoni asserts that developing cooperation among European Union (EU) and Turkey can

widen the business of their tourism products; thus, it will help grow the country’s economy

(Katsoni, 2014). Nevertheless, this research was conducted based on European Union and

Turkey’s tourism framework. Policy makers and other professionals in Bangladesh acknowledge

the significance of cooperation with SAARC regions for advancement of tourism and discuss it

through seminars and conversations (Alam, 2012). Parveen (2013) conducted an empirical study

4
to find out the current status of tourism in Bangladesh and compared the growth of Bangladesh’s

tourism to other SAARC countries’ tourism (Parveen, 2013). She has not broadly examined why

tourism policies in Bangladesh are inactive and how cooperation with SAARC can help

Bangladesh’s tourism continue its progress. As a result, it is obvious that any qualitative or

quantitative research with profound emphasis on this particular topic has not taken place yet.

Therefore, this paper highlights how quality higher education on tourism can help the country

excel tourism industry.

1.4 Methodology and Objectives of the Study

This report is based on secondary data. As a primary source of data, interviews have been

conducted with 10 stakeholders of tourism industry in order to assemble contemporary relevant

information. The interviewees were students and faculties of Tourism and Hospitality

Management department, and other professionals who deal with tourists in airports, hotels and

tourist spots. They have been asked about the prospects of quality education on Tourism and

Hospitality Management (THM), challenges regarding higher education on these filed and

possible actions that can be taken to ensure quality higher education on THM in most of the

public and private universities of Bangladesh. Additionally, information from secondary sources

such as books, scholarly articles, journals, newspapers and documents from Bangladesh Parjatan

Corporation (BPC), Bangladesh Bank and World Tourism Organization (WTO) have also been

used. The objectives of the study are:

• To explore the prospects of quality education on Tourism and Hospitality Management

(THM)

• To discover challenges that exist behind providing higher education on THM

5
• To analyze the strategies that can ensure quality higher education on THM in most of

the public and private universities of Bangladesh

6
 Chapter-2

Organizational Profile

7
2.0 Introduction

The People's University of Bangladesh or PUB is a non-profit educational institution located at

Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established on 14 May 1996 as a private university under the Private

University Act 1992. with a view to expanding the scope of higher education in Bangladesh. The

university has two campuses, one at Mohammadpur and the other one located at Uttara.

Mr.Shirazul Islam Mollah (MP) is the chairman of PUB and Prof. Dr. Md. Abdul Mannan

Chowdhury is the Vice-Chancellor. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh

has approved its syllabi and curricula.

Background

The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB) was established on 14th May, 1996 as a private

University under the Private University Act 1992, with a vision to enhance the opportunities for

higher education in Bangladesh. The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has

approved its curriculum.

The Vision

The people’s University is nonprofit organization for higher education. The University is

committed to maintain a peaceful, congenial and homely academic environment through close

counseling and guidance of the students by the teachers. The prime objective of the University is

to attract the potentialities and talent of our youths so that they can meet the challenge of the

twenty first century. The academic programs of the University are carried through predetermined

academic calendar to avoid wastage of time, energy and money.

The Strategy

To develop an interactive, involving and caring relationship among teachers, students, guardians

and administration.

8
History

Establish on 14th May, 1996. Approved under the Private University act, 1992. All its courses are

approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Accreditation & Affiliations

Government of Bangladesh

University Grants Commission of Bangladesh

Benedict International, Switzerland

Some reputed University of Japan, Europe, Australia, UK and USA.

Internal Link

The PUB is internationally recognized by some reputed Universities of Japan, Europe, Australia,

UK and USA. So, PUB students can easily obtain transfer of credit to the foreign universities, if

required.

The Key Features of PUB

· To develop and implement the state-of-the-art curricula

· PUB ensures International Standard Education at a minimum cost

· 5% Full-free Scholarship

· Fees may be paid by suitable installments

· 20% fee reduction for female students

· 50% tuition waiver for brother/ sister/ spouse of existing students

· Regular seminars, conferences etc. are held and participated by distinguished foreign

scholars.

· Scholarship based on academic standing at PUB

· Practical job experience through internships

9
 · PUB own campus at 3/2, Asad Avenue, Dhaka

· Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies

· Free foundation course on Math/English/Computer.

· Rich network, Hardware, Software Lab facilities and 24 hours Internet facilities.

· Hospital for Physiotherapy and Acupuncture and free medical services are available for

students.

· Rich library facilities

· Publication of international standard journal

· Hostel facilities for both Male and Female students.

· Students Center (Air- Conditioned)

Schedule of Courses

One academic year is divided into three semesters, namely spring, Summer & Fall.

The duration of each semester is 16 weeks with 13 weeks for class teaching; 1 week break as

examination preparatory leave 1 week for holding examinations.

2.1 Academic Programs

PUB is the leading private university in Bangladesh with strong and diverse research and

teaching programs in the departments under five schools. Undergraduate programs in the

Schools of Arts, Business Administration, Social Science, Applied Science and Engineering,

Textile Engineering, and Health Science extend over four years and lead to BA, BBA, BSS,

LLB, and BSc degrees.

Postgraduate studies and research are now among the main activities of the University. MA,

MBA, and MSc degrees are offered by the four departments of three schools.

10
School of Business Administration

• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

• Master Of Business Administration(MBA)

• Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM)

• Diploma in Computer Application in Business

School of Social Science

• Bachelor of Sociology & Social Work (BSS)

• Bachelor of LL.B

School of Applied Science

• B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering

• M.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering

• B.Sc. in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

School of Textile Engineering

• B.Sc. in Textile Engineering

School of Arts

• B.A.(Honors) in English

• M.A.(Final) in English

• B.A. (Honors) in Islamic Studies & Culture

11
• M.A. (preliminary) in Islamic Studies & Culture

• M.A. (Final) in Islamic Studies & Culture

2.2 Code of Conduct and Discipline of PUB

A student should conform to the highest standard of discipline and shall conduct himself/herself

within and outside the premises of the University in a manner befitting the student of a

University of national importance. He or she shall show due courtesy and considerations to the

teachers and other employees of the University and render sincere co-operation to his or her

fellow students. The students must also pay due attention and courtesy to the visitors.

2.2.1 Rules for repeating course

Student who receives a “F” (fail) grade in any course needs to repeat that course and obtain a

minimum “D” grade in order to meet the degree requirement. Such a repeat will be allowed

whenever the course is offered or at the end of the program, provided that the number of courses

including the repeat one for a student does not exceed 24.00 credits in a semester.

12
Grading System

Numerical Grade Letter Grade Grade Point

80% or above A+ 4.00

75% to less then 80% A 3.75

70% to less then 75% A- 3.50

65% to less than 70% B+ 3.25

60 to less than 65% B 3.00

55% to less than 60% B- 2.75

50% to less than 55% C+ 2.50

45% to less than 50% C 2.25

40% to less than 45% D 2.00

Less than 45% F(Fail) 0.00

Incomplete Work I

2.2.2 Rules for Improvement

The courses in which a student shall obtain D or a higher grade will be counted as credits earned

by him/her. Any course in which a student shall obtain F will not be counted towards his/her

earned credits. A student may improve his/her grades D, D+ C- by re-appearing the final

examination of the courses. Students intending to improve D, D+, C- grades can do so as per the

rules set by the Academic council, but in such cases no improvement shall be allowed in

assessments, mid-term examinations, and as such, Grade improvement shall be assessed on the

basis of one Final improvement examination only. In case of improvement examination the

better result between the two examinations will be taken into account. If the grade earned in the

13
improvement examination falls bellow than the grade of previous examinations then the grade(s)

of previous examination will stand valid for calculation of GPA/CGPA. Students must register

for the course(s) they want to improve the grades and applicable fees will be assessed for the

repeat/retake course(s). Improvement shall not be allowed once the degree has been awarded.

2.2.3 Rules of Withdrawal of a course

There is a provision for withdrawal of courses by a student from a semester. If a student desires

to do so he/she has to notify atleast 30 days before the beginning of the semester final

examinations. The maximum duration of stay of a student at the faculty for completion of all

requirements for obtaining a B.Sc. /B. Sc. Engg. degree be six years. If any exceptional

circumstance arises in respect to any student, the matter shall be referred to the Academic

Council of the University for Decision.

2.2.4 Transfer of credit and Waiver

A student admitted in any semester on transfer from any accredited University/institute shall be

entitled to “Transfer of Credits” and consequent waiver of equivalent courses based on the

recommendation of the Equivalence Committee of PUB. And in such cases, the grades earned by

the student concerned in his/her former institution shall not be counted towards calculation of

his/her Grade Point Average (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). However

these courses will be shown separately in the official transcript. Grades earned below 2.5 in a

4.00 scale will not be transferred (and hence waiver will not be admissible)

2.2.5 Course Registration:

Before starting of every semester each student has to register courses formally. Student adviser

of corresponding student will help and verify the registration.

14
2.2.6 Class Attendance

All students are expected to attend the classes regularly. The People’s University of Bangladesh

believes that regular attendance is essential for effective learning. A student is required to attend

at least 85% of all the classes held in every course in order to sit for the final examination.

2.2.7 Academic Rules

Number of semesters in an academic year:

One academic year is divided into three semesters, namely Spring, Summer & Fall.

Semester Duration

Spring: January-April

Summer: May-August

Fall: September-December

The duration of each semester is 16 weeks with 13 weeks for class teaching; 1 weeks break as

examination preparatory leave and 1 week for holding examinations.

2.2.8 Course Pattern and Credit Structure

The undergraduate program is covered by a set of theoretical courses along with a set of

laboratory/practical courses to support them.

2.2.9 Course Designation System

Each course is designed by a two or three letter code identifying the department offering the code

followed by a three-digit number. The first digit corresponds to the year in which the course is

normally offered. The second digit is reserved for the departmental use. The last digit is an odd

number for theoretical courses and even number for practical courses.

15
 Credits

Theoretical Courses

One lecture per week per semester is equivalent to one credit.

Practical Courses

Credits for practical courses are half of the class hours per week per semester.

Course Registration

Before starting of every semester each student has to register courses formally. Student adviser

of corresponding student will help and verify the registration.

2.2.10 Class Attendance

All students are expected to attend the classes regularly. The People’s University of Bangladesh

believes that regular attendance is essential for effective learning. A student is required to

attendant least 85% of all the classes held in every course in order to sit for the final

examination.

2.2.11 Examination Systems

At the end of each semester students have to sit for a semester final examination Generally the

duration of the examination of each course will be 3 (three) hours. If a student does not attend

the semester final examination, automatically his/her grade will be F (fail). The total marks

obtained by the students in a course will be the some of the marks of semester final

examinations, Mid-term examination, class tests, assignments, quiz, report/ presentation etc.

Finally the letter grade will be awarded by the course teacher based on the total marks.

2.2.12 Performance Evaluation

The performance of a student will be evaluated in terms of semester GPA and cumulative grade

point average (CGPA), which is the grade point average for the semesters under consideration.

16
Students will be awarded a degree with honors if their CGPA is 3.75 or above. Students will be

considered to be making normal progress towards a degree if their CGPA for all work attempted

is 2.25 of better and are in good standing with the University. Students who fail to maintain this

minimum rate of progress will not be in good standing.

Passing of all courses individually and maintaining a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average

(CGPA) of 2.00 are the basic requirements for degree awarding.

2.2.13 Rules for Repeating Course

Student who receives a “F” (fail) grade in any course needs to repeat that course and obtain a

minimum “D” grade in order to meet the degree requirement. Such a repeat will be allowed

whenever the course is offered or at the end of the program, provided that the number of courses

including the repeat one for a student does not exceed 24.00 credits in a semester.

2.2.14 Rules of Improvement

The courses in which a student shall obtain D or a higher grade will be counted as credits

earned by him/her. Any course in which a Student shall obtain F will not be counted towards

his/her earned credits. A student may improve his/her grades D, D+, C- by re-appearing the final

examination of the courses.

Students intending to improve D, D+ C- grades can do so per the rules set by the Academic

Council, but in such cases no improvement shall be allowed in assessments, mid-term

examinations, and as such Grade improvement shall be assessed on the basis of one Final

improvement examination only.

In case of improvement examination the better result between the two examinations will be taken

into account. If the grade earned in the improvement examination falls bellow than the grade of

17
previous examinations then the grade(s) of previous examination will stand valid for calculation

of GPA/CGPA.

Students must register for the course(s) they want to improve the grades and applicable fees will

be assessed for the repeat/retake course(s).

Improvement shall not be allowed once the degree has been awarded.

2.2.15 Rules for Withdrawal of a Course

There is a provision for withdrawal of courses by a student from semester. If a student desires to

do so he/she has to notify at least 30 days before the beginning of the semester final

examinations.

The maximum duration of stay of a student at the faculty for completion of all requirements for

obtaining a B.Sc Engineering degree is six years.

If any exceptional circumstance arises in respect to any student, the matter shall be referred to

the Academic Council of the University for Decision.

2.2.16 Transfer of Credit and Waiver

A student admitted in any semester on transfer from any accredited University / Institute shall be

entitled to  “Transfer of Credits” and consequent waiver of equivalent courses based on the

recommendation of the Equivalence Committee of PUB. And in such cases, the grades earned by

the student concerned in his/her former institution shall not be counted towards calculation of

his/ her Grade Point Average (GPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). However

theses courses will be shown separately in the official transcript.

Grades earned below 2.5 in a 4.00 scale will not be transferred (and hence waiver will not be

admissible)

18
2.2.17 Student Advisor

Each Student is assigned to an advisor. The advisor advises each student about the courses to be

taken in each semester by discussing the academic program. Students are also responsible to

keep regular contact with his/ her advisor who will give a plan of study and also observe the

progress of the student. The adviser may permit the student study and also observe the progress

of the student. The adviser may permit the student drop one or more courses based on previous

academic performance.

2.2.18 Student Counseling

The University is committed to maintain a homely academic environment through close

counseling and guidance of the students by the teachers. Maintenance of academic honesty and

integrity shall be given topmost priority by the University. A necessary part of the process of

teaching and learning is counseling and guiding of students by the teachers.

Students shall be guided by a rigorous and disciplined standard of academic honesty in preparing

assignments, appearing at examinations and using University facilities. Teachers are very much

concerned about the progress of students. This is why teachers want to keep contact with

students. Students are also advised to feel free to discuss matters with teachers and their advisors.

Every full-time teacher maintains scheduled student counseling hours.

2.3 SWOT analysis of The People's University of Bangladesh or PUB

SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. A SWOT analysis can

be carried out for a product, place, organization or person. It involves specifying the object of

the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable

and unfavorable to achieving that objective.

19
  Strengths- attributes of the unit/department/university that likely will be helpful to have

a positive effect on the achievement of the desired end state. Strategies to capitalize n

these strengths can be developed.

 Weakness- attributes of the unit/department/university that likely will have a negative

effect on the achievement of the desired end state. Strategies to minimize the effects of

these weaknesses can be developed.

 Opportunities- conditions external to the unit/department/university that likely will have

a positive effect on the achievement of the desired end state. Strategies to exploit these

opportunities can then be identified.

 Threats- conditions external to the unit/department/university that likely will have a

negative effect on the achievement of the desired end state. Strategies to defend against

these threats can be identified.

Strengths

1. Affordable course fee

2. Location in state capital

3. Sixteen years of proven experience in university level education and training with

growing emphasis on research and consultancy activities to further enhance qualities of

teaching and training.

4. Established and proven know-how/expertise in the fields of Business studies,

engineering, law, management, science, social sciences and humanities.

5. Academic activities adapted to the more recent socio-economic trends resulting in the

development of a wide range of courses.

20
 6. Quality assurance of courses/examinations through established link arrangements with

foreign universities.

7. Experienced academic and support staff and continuous improvement of human resources

through a strategic staff development programmed.

8. Full-time faculty teachers most classes and there is a strong bond and a high level of

interaction between faculty and students.

9. Expertise in teaching non- traditional students.

10. Comprehensiveness, quality, and growth of online education.

Weakness

1. Low recruitment and retention levels of staff due to unattractive terms and conditions of

employment.

2. Heavy dependence on part-time lecturers in some Faculties.

3. Inadequate research culture emanating from the initial “development” focus.

4. Low proportion of PhD holders among academic staff.

5. Absence of a systemic approach to quality assurance constraining the development of

management and administrative structures with regard to capacity building.

6. Limited academic building.

7. Limited sports facilities and other campus activities.

8. Inadequate provision for an all round development of student personality.

9. Insufficient sense of belonging to the University.

10. Weak public perception due to the absence of a public relation strategy.

11. Underfunding in many department and programs.

12. Understaffing at many level.

21
 13. Inadequate resource for recruitment, retention, advising, and marketing – all the things

needed to recruit and retain students.

14. Underdeveloped campus life and facilities.

15. Not enough undergraduate degree programs

Opportunities

1. Financial assistance in admission, tuition fees and on semester results.

2. Strategic alliance with national institutions.

3. Strategic positioning for the organization of international seminars/executive

development programmers within the context of globalization.

4. Online opportunities worldwide.

5. Opportunities to build an undergraduate experience using the best practices from through

the country.

6. International and off campus study and exchange programs.

7. Becoming a leader interdisciplinary and integrated learning.

8. Industrial tour in various Industries in several semesters.

Threats

1. Free university education within the context of increasing trends of privatization.

2. Proliferation of providers of university level education.

3. Absence of an effective national regulatory framework for a accreditation of degrees.

4. Shortage of experience teachers.

5. Reduced public funding of higher education in Dhaka.

22
6. Risk of losing prominent faculty and staff for genuinely better opportunities at other

universities or locally.

7. Maximum private universities are situated near our university.

23
 CAPTER-3

INERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

24
3.1 Nature of the jobs

As a lecturer at The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB), I teach academic and vocational

subjects to undergraduate students aged 18 upwards.

My teaching methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical laboratory demonstrations,

field work and e-learning. Multimedia technologies are being increasingly used in most of my

classes.

I am also pursuing my own research to contribute to the wider research activities of my

department.

My administrative tasks take up a significant part of the working day. I am also taking on a

pastoral role with my students. As a lecturer progress along my career path, may be expected to

undertake a managerial role of the department.

3.2 Specific responsibilities of the job:

1. To teach at undergraduate level in areas allocated by the Head of Department and

reviewed from time to time by the Head of Department.

2. To assist in the development of learning materials, preparing schemes of work and

maintaining records to monitor student progress, achievement and attendance.

3. To participate in departmental and faculty seminars aimed at sharing research outcomes

and building interdisciplinary collaboration within and outside the department.

25
4. To participate in the development, administration and marking of exams and other

assessments.

5. To provide pastoral care and support to students.

6. To participate in the administration of the department’s programmes of study and other

activities as requested.

7. To carry out research and produce publications, or other research outputs, in line with

personal objectives agreed in the Staff review process.

8. To supervise or assist with supervision of undergraduate students.

9. To contribute to the development, planning and implementation of a high quality

curriculum.

10. To contribute to departmental, faculty, or PUB-wide working groups or committees as

requested.

11. To maintain own continuing professional development.

12. To actively follow and promote PUB policies, including Equal Opportunities.

13. To maintain an awareness and observation of fire and health and safety regulations.

14. To carry out any other duties commensurate with the grade and purpose of the post.

15. To carrying out administrative tasks related to the department, such as student

admissions, induction programmes and involvement in committees and boards.

16. To establishing collaborative links outside the university with industrial, commercial and

public organisations.

26
3.3 Critical observations and recommendations:

1. Chain of command of the institution is very week. The Board of Trustee, Management

committee and authority need to be more organized and active.

2. Some time inter-departmental clashes occur in the university, which must be resolved for

the betterment of the whole institution.

3. Big gap exists between academic personnel and administrative personnel. It creates lack

of cooperation among the staffs. As a result, overall progress of the university lags

behind.

4. When delivering lectures, I face lack of classroom facilities. The university must have

more facilities regarding classroom materials and others.

5. As a lecturer at the university, I believe that I should spend more time for the success of

the institution. I will try to give more time to the students so that they can achieve better

education and grade.

6. I will also encourage the students to seek for help from me both inside and outside of the

classroom.

27
 CHAPTER-4

PROJECT

Problems and Prospects of Quality education on Tourism in Bangladesh: A

Particular Emphasis on the Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM)
Department of The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB).

28
4.1 Summary:

Tourism is globally a buzzword at present due to its contribution to a person’s personal and

social life as well as economy of a country. Unfortunately, Bangladesh lacks behind in tourism

industry despite its huge potential with a plenty of natural resources. Therefore, it is vital to

investigate this issue and initiate appropriate actions for positive changes. One of the prominent

steps to promote tourism industry in Bangladesh can be emphasizing on quality higher education

on tourism. This paper explores the prior policies adopted for this industry, analyzes reasons

behind their failure and provides fruitful recommendations for further improvement of tourism.

The essay will illustrate the prospects and problems regarding quality higher education on

tourism. It will particularly highlight the Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM)

Department of The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB). In fact, the essay will help

researchers and policy makers work towards growing the industry by focusing on higher

education on Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM).

4.2 Challenges of Private Universities in Bangladesh

With the expansion of education facilities in secondary and higher secondary level the

demand for higher education have increased dramatically in recent years. Public higher

educational institutions were not successfully meeting this pressure. To meet this demand and

reduce the increasing cost in higher level, the government opened the opportunity for private

sector participation in higher education. As a result, the number of students in the private

universities is increasing day by day. According to UGC report 2008, the number of students in

tertiary level is 12 lac (more than 1.2 million). There were 1 lac 65 thousand students studying in

28 public universities (excluding National University and Open University) in 2008. In the same

29
year 1 lac 83 thousand students were studying in 51 private universities. It is very difficult to

comment definitely on the quality of education in the private universities. There is no evaluation

system for this. Of course, the public universities also do not have any system of quality

monitoring. One advantage of the public universities is that they draw good quality students and

also good quality teachers. They start with a better base; this may not be true for all the private

universities of Bangladesh (Ahmed, 1997). Quality of education depends on a lot of issues. The

broad areas are management, teaching quality, faculty resources, quality intake, method of

teaching, technology support, update curriculum, direct and indirect infrastructure, etc. With all

these, university should have specific mission and vision to its goal. We have some success

stories in private universities in Bangladesh. Some are providing quality education and

producing high quality graduates. It is commonly saying that private universities are responsible

for deteriorating the higher education quality. Recently, International Institute for Education

Planning (IIEP) conducted a research titled Private Higher Education (PHE) in Bangladesh.

Research shows that, business-graduates of private universities are getting preference in job

market. Their average income levels were significantly above the income level of their

counterparts from the public universities, the sole exception was the graduates from IBA of

Dhaka University (IIEP, 2007). On the other side, some are selling certificates. Quality teacher,

teaching method, physical facilities are not at all in support for higher level. According to UGC

report (2008), only a few universities have their own campus, but rest of them running in rented

house in residential or industrial areas of the city. Even after 10 years of getting approval they

failed to establish permanent campus that was supposed to do within five years of approval. So,

faculty quality and facilities are the major concerns for PUs in Bangladesh to ensure quality

production.

30
 Private Universities are providing Higher Education. After 1990, there is a dramatic

growth in the country’s higher education. Instead of rapid expansion, the quality of education is

declining. Private universities are profit-oriented and some allegations are there against them.

According to Newspapers report, they are selling certificates and thus responsible for declining

education quality. But all universities are not equal in terms of providing inputs to produce

output as productive and employable graduates. It is commonly saying that faculty selection is

not based on merit and universities are depending on part-time teacher. On the other side, most

of the universities are fail to provide infrastructure facilities like laboratory, classroom, and

library. Universities are running in industrial or residential area. In the same building, some

floors are rented for university and others are restaurant, beauty parlour, and furniture shop.

Computer Science and communications related subjects are common but there is no sufficient

lab facility, networking, ICT infrastructure and library facility. To ensure the quality of a

program these issues are related. So, education quality cannot be ensured without quality teacher

and other facilities.

4.3 Quality Higher Education

Quality is a multidimensional construct. It is also a relative issue. Quality may differ to

different people. It depends on various stakeholders. Harvey and green (1993) say that, Quality is

a relative to the user of the term and the circumstances in which it is involved. It means different

things to different people; indeed the same person may adopt different conceptualizations at

different moments. Defining quality in higher education is proved to be a challenging task.

Cheng and Tam (1997) suggest that 'education quality is a rather vague and controversial

concept and Pounder (1999) argued that quality is a 'notoriously ambiguous term'. At the

31
broadest level, education quality can be viewed as a set of 11 elements that constitute the input,

process and output of the education system, and provide services that completely satisfy both

internal and external strategic constituencies by meeting their explicit and implicit expectations

(Cheng and Tam, 1997: 23). Harvey and Green (1993) identify five different approaches in

viewing quality that are used in higher education. These are;

1. Quality as exception (high Standards),

2. Quality as perfection or consistency (Zero defects),

3. Quality as fitness for purpose,

4. Quality as value for money, and

5. Quality as transformation of the participant

It also refers to the four pillars of education: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live

together and with others, and learning to be. One of the prime goals of quality education is to

build knowledge, life skills, perspectives, attitudes and values of the students to

transform the society into a more productive, sustainable one. Quality education attempts to

uphold and convey the ideals of a sustainable world. It takes into consideration the social,

economic, and environmental contexts of the country and helps shape the curriculum or program

to reflect their respective unique conditions. Quality education therefore must be locally relevant

and culturally appropriate.

According to World Bank (2007) a broad range of factors affect quality in tertiary institutions

including their vision and goals, the talent and expertise of the teaching staff, admission and

assessment standards, the teaching and learning environment, the employability of its graduates

(relevance to the labor market), the quality of the library and laboratories, management

effectiveness, governance and leadership.

32
We can say the term ‘quality’ in higher education has a number of connotations, mostly along

the academic excellence or performance criterion. Quality means to maintain certain standard

and norm to give institutions of higher learning more vitality, continuity, stability and legitimacy.

Ehsan (2008) gave a direction in his study; quality of higher education overall is referred to as

persistence, stability and continuity of academic affairs such as holding of regular classes,

regular passing out of graduates, violence free campus, politics free academic culture etc. in this

regard, quality of education may said to be the institutionalization of academic affairs in

institutions of higher learning.

4.4 Objectives of Higher Education

The aims and objectives of higher education may differ from country to country.

Developed and Developing countries have different challenges in development and objectives in

higher education. One’s priority to achieve development and another’s priority is to maintain or

sustain the achieved development. Though there are some common objectives of education such

as building knowledge, life skills, perspectives, attitudes and values of the students to transform

the society into a more productive, sustainable one. But every country, region has some different

issues of concern based on their development target, spiritual thinking, resources, priorities etc.

To achieve general and specific goal quality education is needed for every country. Quality

higher education develops leadership qualities in people of different professions and develops

awareness in the learners to protect independence, sovereignty and integrity of the country. A

high quality assurance in education in Bangladesh is not only imperative for her internal human

resource management but also to survive, compete and succeed in the globally competitive

educational environment.

33
4.5 Problems behind Quality Higher Education on Tourism:

1. Lack of Practical Lab

2. Prior Education background of enrolled students is very poor

3. Lack of classroom facilities

4. Lack of technological support

5. Scarcity of skilled and experienced professionals for this field

6. Few number of professionals who are qualified do not stay in the university because they

do not receive handsome remuneration

7. Shortage of departmental staffs

8. Poor maintenance of discipline among students and teachers

9. Lack of Library facilities regarding materials on tourism. Mostly rely on backdated

materials.

10. Lack of internship opportunities since the stakeholders of tourism industry do not

cooperate well.

11. Lack of association between the university and other national and international

organizations to promote the sector.

12. Shortage of fund

13. Lack of arrangement of workshops, seminars and other activities related to tourism

14. Lack of familiarity about the major, Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM).

34
4.6 Prospects of Quality Education on Tourism in Bangladesh:

1. Bangladesh, a country with full of natural resources

2. This country possesses the longest sea beach, forest, hills, rivers, unique archaeological

sites, cultural heritage and eco-tourism products. Also, many tribal groups, living in

different areas, are another gift of the country.

3. Higher education on THM will contribute to both nature and economy of the country

4. Development in tourism sector will introduce the country worldwide which will help

increase foreign investment and other funds from many countries.

35
CHAPTER-5

ANALYSIS

36
5.0 Analysis

5.1 Constraints behind Failure of Higher Education on Tourism

However, tourism industry does not grow as fast as it should because of the entrenched

constraints in the sector. According to a senior officer of the BPC, during 2011-2012 the

Bangladesh government allocated Tk.650.00 million to the Board for promoting tourism sector

and branding Bangladesh (Ahmad, 2013). However, a huge number of this allocation has not

been utilized. Therefore, the country remains stuck in non-action whereas many other countries

make every effort to promote tourism and boost their foreign currency revenues. Though

Bangladesh has secured its place on international tourism map, there has not been any noticeable

success in this sector. It hampers higher education on tourism as well because adequate money is

not spent for education on tourism. Thus, the first priority for any Marketing, Policy Making and

Communications activity is to rectify this failure. The subsequent factors are greatly responsible

for disappointment of the tourism industry.

• Bangladesh still remains an unknown destination to tourists generating countries.

• There is a great scarcity in properly skilled human resources. At present, tourism industry

lacks proper tour guides (Chowdhury, 2014).

• Tour operators cannot be punished for any mishandling of tourists as well as tourism

products cannot be protected due to absence of a tourism law.

• One of the major barriers is lack of high-quality infrastructure, which makes tours hectic,

unpleasant and unprofitable. Inadequate infrastructure such as domestic and international

transportations, accessibility to tourist destinations and accommodations are not fully

developed yet (Parveen, 2013).

37
 • No revenue budget for the promotion of tourism development in the country, in

accordance with interviewees. Due to inefficiency of proper policy direction, the BPC or

private sectors do not receive any fund or loan.

• Categorizing hotels and restaurants as Star or Non-Star is not under the jurisdiction of the

BPC. Non-technical hands and institutions perform this task (Chowdhury, 2014).

• Lack of social and political commitment: political instability worsens the tourism sector

in Bangladesh.

• Social insecurity: many local people do not have visitor experience. Sometimes tourists

encounter local strangers who behave in negative manner. Therefore, tourists feel

uncomfortable in some places.

• Lack of safety: at present frequent road accidents occur during study tours and many

people including students, tourists and others die ("Jessore Picnic Bus", 2014). It

frightens parents; therefore, they often do not permit their children to attend study tours.

• Finally, there are not plenty of travel and entertainment facilities in Cox’s Bazar,

Kuakata, Paharpur, Sundarban, Teknaf and Saint Martin, which lessens the number of

tourists.

5.2 Discussion of Result

The main aim of education on tourism is skill development and change in behavior. Appropriate

demand side skill development is the key to human resource development for any country. Some

commonalities exist within the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The policy document on education in Bangladesh has included many points and issues that are

38
conducive to healthy development of education on tourism. When the needs and challenges are

viewed, it is observed that implementation cannot keep pace with expectation. The main

impediments include financial, social, psychological, and political issues. In spite of education

on tourism sector receiving the greatest public financial allocation, there still remains a lot to be

desired in terms of achievement. A milieu of social factors contributes to the high dropout rate of

students, and poor performance of teachers.. Political commitment and continuity is often

missing leading to disjointed and interrupted education system. Overall, a sense of commitment

in every sphere of education on tourism needs to be enhanced to maximize the use of resource

and minimize misuse.

Though the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) initiates training programs for manpower in

different sectors of the tourism industry, it does not fulfill the demand. Until now, University of

Dhaka, The People’s University of Bangladesh (PUB), International Business Administration

and Information System (IBAIS), American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB),

International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT), Primeasia University

and Victoria University inaugurated Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management. Also,

a few other universities are going to open this department. The graduates, achieving higher

education and skills on this field, should utilize their innovative ideas to attract tourists. In

addition, more public and private universities should provide higher education on this area for

ensuring social, economic and natural development of the country.

World Tourism day on September 27 should be declared as a holiday and observed with greater

enthusiasm in order to create awareness among prospective tourists (Ali & Mohsin, 2008).

Academic and non-academic institutions can arrange Public Private Partnership seminars,

symposiums and round table discussions to publicize the necessity of tourism industry. This will

39
enhance tourism culture in Bangladesh. Moreover, to familiarize tourism among local people

from childhood, special arrangements may be organized by educational institutions, such as

arranging annual study tours. However, the authorities must ensure secured journeys so that it

minimizes road accidents during tours.

5.3 Recommendations

The above explained obstacles expose that tourism, the worldwide recognized tool for

poverty alleviation sector. The following measures needs to be implemented immediately for

sustainable development of higher education on tourism in the university as well as tourism

development within the county:

• A dedicated allocation should be confirmed from yearly expenditure for research

activities, promoting research for teacher and students, collection of resources for lab and

library.

• Specific guideline needed for library including space, seating arrangement, reading

environment, recruitment of professionals, budget allocation for resource collection,

electronic catalog system, online resources use, necessary and latest journals, software for

searching books, photocopy facility, adequate number of books, etc.

• Internal quality assurance or audit system should be introduced within the university

• A unified faculty recruitment commission can be formed under the guidance of UGC to

select quality teacher in entry level for the university.

• Foundation training on teaching-learning can be introduced for the fresher to enrich the

teaching quality.

40
• A unified teacher recruitment rules should be formulated under the guidance of UGC and

University must follow the rules.

• To enhance tourism culture, attract new tourists and retain current tourists of Bangladesh,

cooperation among SAARC member countries is required. This cooperation is

tremendously needed to ease visas among SAARC countries (Alam, 2012).

• TV, radio, newspaper and media should popularize tourism concept. Technological

innovations in communication sector, particularly media can contribute towards

spreading cross border culture and global ideology (Ali & Mohsin, 2008).

• Apart from reducing traffic barriers, ensuring efficient transport and communication

infrastructure is important for effective economic cooperation and integration (Murthy,

2008). Infrastructure should be improved with a target oriented planning which must be

implemented.

• For tourists, it is important to display natural scenic beauty, historical monuments and

archaeological sites starting from ancient period of Bengal to present. New projects

should be implemented to display attractive areas in a structured manner so that tourists

can understand lifestyles of tribal and non- tribal people.

• Tourism market should be oriented on the basis of income level, which is applicable for

both national and international tourists. High income groups who tour abroad should be

encouraged to travel within own territory whereas low income groups must have access

to tourism facilities with low purchasing power capability (Ali & Mohsin, 2008).

• Tourism sector can be well developed under package deal policy with SAARC countries,

which includes security measures, creation of pro tourist places, tour operators,

advertising and personalized marketing, effective pricing strategy, accommodations,

41
 resort arrangements, infrastructural facilities, tourism products, logistics, retails and

distributions (Parveen, 2013).

• Tourism sector needs entrepreneurial initiatives. Young entrepreneurs, particularly

female entrepreneurs can sell various types of goods and services including art- crafts,

which convey Bangladesh’s rich cultural heritage to foreign tourists. At present, Aarong,

the leading fashion house in Bangladesh produces stuffs reflecting Bangladeshi tradition

and culture and thereby attract international tourists (MIDAS, 2009). Tribal people also

can contribute to tourism sector by undertaking entrepreneurial activities which represent

their rich and unique cultures.

• Rules and procedures for foreign tourists, particularly those from SAARC countries,

should be flexible in order that tourists do not face difficulties (Ali & Mohsin, 2008).

Furthermore, domestic tourists who work in public and private sectors can have leave

with full payment for one month per annum, which will add a great number of tourists to

current statistics. The government can offer subsidiaries to the poorest, which will surely

boost the industry.

• Value chain can be created in this industry. It will help in adding value to economy of the

country (Ali & Mohsin, 2008). Bangladeshi embassies in abroad can initiate innovative

marketing strategies, accompanied with effective measures, to draw international tourists

(Ali & Mohsin, 2008). The country can add to market shares by enhancing

competitiveness in the sector. E-marketing strategy can also be followed.

• Assistance of UNESCO and other international organizations are vital for the industry.

Above all, policy makers as well as social workers should work together so that negative

impacts of tourism industry cannot outweigh positive results.

42
6.0 Conclusion

For our country, education on tourism is one of the best investments for development. It

contributes to better health, higher incomes, and increased participation in community life. It is

obvious that the Bangladesh government, the BPC and policy makers have recognized the

importance of developing tourism industry earlier than now. Also, they have outlined some

policies facilitating this sector. However, lack of fund, investment, investigation and

implementation of those strategies are responsible for not leading the industry to a great success.

Therefore, it is high time for the government, non-government organizations and policy makers

to review approaches, including cooperation with SAARC regions, and implement them

effectively to promote tourism industry in Bangladesh. One of the prominent ways to ensure

development of tourism industry is providing quality higher education on tourism in the

universities of Bangladesh.

43
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