This document discusses the potential for backpacking tourism in Bangladesh and proposes strategies to promote it. It notes that Bangladesh is currently not well known as a tourist destination and is perceived negatively due to poverty and disasters. However, backpacking tourists are interested in affordable, authentic experiences. The document shows that daily costs for backpackers in Bangladesh could be even lower than popular destinations like Pokhara, Nepal. It proposes creating detailed maps of tourist attractions and travel zones in Bangladesh to make it easier for domestic and foreign tourists to explore destinations independently. This could help promote Bangladesh as an affordable backpacking destination and boost the tourism industry.

1. Little on prospects of Backpacking tourism in Bangladesh -Istiak Ahmed Bangladesh is a destination with scattered attractions due to poor infrastructure. Most of the people have not heard of us. And who did, they know Bangladesh as a poor country suffering from annual natural disasters and political instability. It is not wise to deny this negative reputation and compete with other countries that possess positive image. Instead, we should embrace and capitalize on the fact.
Nowadays, international tour is an indication of social status. Since level of personal earning is not rising that much, people tend to visit best-valued destination to get their money’s worth. People are interested in eco-friendly tours, backpacking adventure and concerned about bringing a ‘change’ to the world through pro-poor tourism. This is our chance to positively market the downsides and invest on achievable prospect. What we should tell the world is:
Hey! our infrastructure is not good enough. But if you want marvelous meals for under 1 dollar, a mid-range hotel room for less than 10 times that, 27 hours first class river cruising for less than 27 dollars and tiger spotting tour to world’s largest mangrove forest for less than 150 dollars then visit us (Lonely Planet). We may not provide you luxury. But if you want to experience original travel, best hospitality and walk on unbeaten track then visit us. We know we are poor and disaster stricken. Your decision to visit Bangladesh will represent your decision to change the world. I think that is how we should promote.

2. I do not get why we always try to attract luxury tourists. Well, we can accommodate them in the luxury hotel suits we are building with passion and then? What particular products do we have to offer them? Hardly accessible scattered destinations, struggling days of local community, dusty city and muddy countryside. I suggest not doing that. You promise a kiss and land a punch. That is when negative words of mouth spread. For now we should hit for the backpacker’s kind.
When it comes to backpacking, thing that matters most is the amount needed to get by during one’s stay. Destinations that can set a fine-line between price and quality balancing both soundly tend to win significant amount of tourists. Countries like Thailand (!), Indonesia, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Bolivia realized the idea; now experiencing soaring tourist arrival and earning reliable recommendation. Thailand’s $3 dollar dorm bed, Indonesia’s $1.5 dollar buffet, Nicaragua’s $4-5 dollar lunch/dinner and Bolivia’s $5-6 dollar basic accommodation in clean and respectable place considered as backpacker’s candy.
Hang on now. What about Bangladesh? I asked myself the same thing. Well let me show you something. Pokhara city of Nepal; considered as the best backpacking destination since it provides affordability to light pockets. Pokhara tops the list providing average $14.32 daily cost for a backpacker. Which includes a dorm bed, 3 budget meals, 2 public transport, 1 paid cultural attraction and drinks. No destination from Bangladesh made that list of more than 100 destinations. Despite that, I am comparing our most expensive Dhaka against the cheapest of the world.
Items
Pokhara. Nepal (appx)
Dhaka,Bangladesh (appx)
1.Accommodation
Dorm: $4
Dorm: $4.50 (possible, rare)
2.Transportation
Bus: $0.50/km
Taxi: $1.70/km
Bus: $0.20/km
Taxi: $1.92/km
3.Cultural attraction
Devi’s falls: $0.50
Whole DU campus tour and national museum tour: $1
4.Food and drinks
Breakfast: $1.48
Lunch: $2.05
Dinner: 2.09
3 soft drinks: $2.00
Breakfast: $1
Lunch: $1.53
Dinner: $1.92
3 soft drinks: $1.28
Source: Price of Travel and NUMBEO
Average daily cost in Dhaka: $13.35 (1 dollar = 78 taka)
Average daily cost in Pokhara: $14.32 (1 dollar = 98 NPR)

3. Now as you can see, we can even top the cheapest. But as we are so deluded attracting luxury tourists that we don’t realize we don’t have enough infrastructure or incredible artificial entertainment which they value most. So, backpackers can be the backbone of our tourism.
Following statistics might make you think.
Over the years, backpackers are taken lightly considering their least contribution to the economy. But in 2012 young tourists spent $217 billion; more escalation than other groups. Study of youth and student travel released by Amsterdam-based World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation also shows that young tourists represent 20% of international tourism. Despite the global recession student spending has hiked more than 40% as did the duration of their stay. And as they search for cheap accommodation ‘hostels overtaking hotels as popular form of accommodation. I see things in our favor. The first thing we have to do is introduce us to the world. I have some idea.
Think. You are a middle class man, in a shop to buy a chocolate for your kid. You are standing before shelf, containing hundreds of chocolate from dozens of companies. With 20 taka in pocket, you want chocolate that contains cashew nut and only two kinds meet your choice. Now, the first brand has eye-catching packaging and second brand does not have an attracting pack but enriched with rare coffee essence but not even specified on package. Then which one would he buy? Obviously, the first brand while second brand resembles the pathetic conditions of Bangladesh tourism. Standing on the unfortunate analog irony line in this digital age, we are facing the same dilemma. Here is how.
Last year my friends suddenly decided to visit Manikganj and one fine morning we set out for it. After we reached there and had something to eat, we visited Baliati palace, which is by the way one renowned piece of old architecture. We faced no trouble finding that, since locals were aware enough to direct us to where it was. Then we decided to go to other places like: Imampara Jame Masjid, Teota rajbari, Navaratna temple, Bird village, Ekdala fort, Machain mosque Dhankora jamindar bari, Katasgarh fort and Ibrahim shah tomb. Now here comes the trouble. We asked locals (especially CNG drivers) about how to go to famous Pir majar, they directed us to some Belal pir’s astana which was not what we found in Google search. Being in such condition we searched in google map for direction and except for “Baliati Palace”, not a single place was listed! You can find information about these places but you cannot find how to get there then what’s the point?

4. If we face this much trouble getting there, what about foreigners or people who are less oriented to technology. So, to remove the misery I propose to:
 Include this huge number of beautiful places in Google map.
 Add “places of interest” map to the most renowned places so that when people come and visit that place, they can easily access that and visit to nearby places too.
 Make the map available to the CNG drivers, rickshaw pullers and whoever get in touch with tourists.
 Make a sequence of where to go first and where last based on distance for optimum time consumption.
 Dividing Bangladesh into different “travel zones” through research and consultation with transportation ministry and tourism authorities (BTB, BPC, TOAB)
 Make the maps available according to ‘travel zones’ in the website of BTB.
How to add these places on map? Here is the solution. Bangladesh Tourism Board and Archeology department should have the map of where are those places on Bangladesh. If they don’t then what were they doing till this date?
Google map provides “My map” option where anybody can pin a location through GPS enabled devices. But it will not be displayed to others. Our plan is- we should gather 50 or more true travelers like Tinku Chowdhuri and other. Give them GPS enabled devices. Make teams. Send them to places. They will happily pin all the places that are on the list and on the way, they may discover countless places worth visiting. They will be asked to collect:
 Pin position
 About the place
 Quality photographs
 Longitude and latitude
After a year or so, we will collect the exact locations of their pinned places. Take the latitude and longitude. Compose all places in a new “MyMap” that Google provides to their account users. Send those places to Google through government to add on Google map so that the entire world can see those whenever searches. This is not that hard nut to crack. We achieved our freedom within 9 months ignoring obstacles and this is just a project of roaming around.
Advantages we will get:
 We can easily access places of ‘travel zones’.
 We can download travel zone-wise PDF maps from website before we set out.
 Both domestic and international tourist arrival will increase.

5.  We can discover new places so ‘travel zones’ will be enriched and extended by places to visit. For example, tourists in Dhaka might not go to Noakhali only to visit Nijhum dwip. If explorers can find out more places to visit in Noakhali, it can be a good package to travel all together.
 Tourists can visit loads of places without wasting their valuable time.
 Tourism will be a habit of middle class and even lower middle class international people. Then they will know Bangladesh as cheap travelling destination enriched with many places to visit. They can visit more places spending less money. Like the chocolate example I gave, “Rich people may pick cheap chocolate sometimes but poor never pick an expensive one” and percentage of second type of people is greater.
 Places will be accessible by the people who are less oriented to technology.
The red-circled place above is ‘Teota Rajbari’. I manually pinned it using ‘My map’ option from my GPS device. Like this, we can find out other places.
Before we invite tourists in our country, we must know what we got and how to get there. If we don’t, we have no right to invite them to humiliation.