Bangladesh to employ 17 lakh workers in tourism sector by 2023: WTTC

After two long years of existential shock, the battered tourism industry looks to be on the path to stunning recovery with affirmation from industry insiders saying “the recovery is going to be so stellar that it’s going to recover really powerfully.”

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) brought the good news for the battered industry in a recent report saying the sector is expected to make a comeback to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

Before the pandemic, the tourism industry had become one of the most lucrative sectors in the world. Many countries joined the bandwagon to be part of this booming business, spending billions on projects to welcome tourists and get a share of the shiny tourist cash. Even Bangladesh, with an economy traditionally not too tourist-driven, was eyeing big bucks from tourists by showcasing its uniqueness.

All looked rosy for the tourism business until the pandemic came out of nowhere, appearing as a scourge for the industry.

Strict travel restrictions induced by the pandemic battered tourist-heavy economies. Meanwhile, nations like Bangladesh, which for decades, was building up to become an enticing tourist destination needed heavy government assistance just to stay afloat during the dark times of the pandemic.

In 2019, tourism accounted for a tenth of global GDP and jobs but the coronavirus pandemic decimated the $9.6 trillion industry, halving its output value and leaving 62 million people jobless.

Now, as the industry is licking its wounds with the fading Covid shock, it hopes to reach the pre-pandemic level as quickly as possible.

WTTC said in the report that the industry’s GDP is seen hitting $8.35 trillion this year and $9.6 trillion in 2023, a return to its pre-pandemic level.

Furthermore, tourism jobs are projected to recover to 300 million this year and 324 million in 2023, close to the 333 million seen in 2019. In Asia-Pacific alone, the hospitality industry’s GDP will likely hit $3.4 trillion in 2023, already above the $3.3 trillion it saw in 2019, WTTC said.

It is expected to post an annual average growth rate of 5.8 percent from 2022 to 2032 versus the 2.7 percent increase in global GDP, and create 126 million new jobs.

Calling on all governments to reopen borders, the WTTC President Julia Simpson said, “The recovery is going to be so stellar that it’s going to recover really powerfully.”

She, however, also mentioned this recovery would depend of course on China’s reopening. China’s “zero Covid” policy and persistent lockdowns have disrupted global trade and domestic and international travel.

Bangladesh’s tourism scenario

Tourism in Bangladesh, although not a big player globally, felt a heavy blow from the pandemic.

According to WTTC, the industry suffered a massive loss of $3.1 billion in 2020. Its contribution to the GDP was $6.31 billion in 2020, which was $9.41 billion in 2019 — a 32.9 percent decrease. Besides, over 4 lakh people involved in the country’s tourism sector lost their jobs during the period.

WTTC predicted that by 2023 Bangladesh’s tourism sector will employ about 17 lakh workers, roughly 4.2 percent of the country’s workforce.

WTTC also found that 96 percent of the tourists are of local origin and spent $8.03 billion in 2019. The amount went down to $5.13 billion in 2020.

Meanwhile, foreign tourist spending fell from $354 million in 2019 to $142 million in 2020.

The top five countries where foreign tourists come to Bangladesh are India (64 percent), China (16 percent), Pakistan (10 percent), USA (5 percent), and South Korea (5 percent).

Bangladesh is an unpopular travel destination among foreigners. However, efforts are made to attract more foreign tourists to the country. This includes formulating a master plan.

According to Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Bangladesh has 1,400 tourist destinations. The master plan aims to boost the sector by developing these destinations.