ABSTRACT
Although Bangladesh has some distinctive travel and tourism associations to provide better life experiences to tourists, the country could not create a distinctive image in the mind of tourists till now. In the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index of 2017, Bangladesh ranked 125th among 136 countries of the world and 5th among the five countries of South Asian region. Why is the country’s position in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index poor, although the country has unique and competitive brand associations in the tourism sector compared to other neighbouring countries like India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and others? International tourist arrivals and inbound receipts are also not satisfactory for the Bangladesh tourism industry. Besides, intensification of tourism activities and severe competition have been compelling the policy makers to improve competitiveness by creating a statutory framework for the tourism industry. By taking two comprehensive models, namely the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index and Porter’s Five Forces Model, this chapter aims at analysing the competitiveness of the travel and tourism industry of Bangladesh. This chapter also focuses on SWOT analysis, structural problems and issues, lessons from other countries along with practical policy implications for Bangladesh tourism.
