Resort owners call for separate law
Resort owners yesterday demanded that the government formulate a separate law on resorts beyond the Hotel and Restaurant Act 2014, in order to boost the country's tourism sector.
The law will help solve the challenges of the resort industry, and encourage investment in the sector, they said. If the industry flourishes, the government will be able to earn a large amount of revenue through tourism, they added.
The Tourism Resort Industries Association of Bangladesh (TRIAB) organised the discussion at a hotel in the capital.
Khabir Uddin Ahmed, president of TRIAB, said although the existing act partly dealt with resorts, a separate law was a must as resorts were "completely different" from hotels.
“We demand that the government formulate at least a policy if it cannot enact a law. The move will help us a lot,” he said.
Mohiuddin Helal, editor of the tourism magazine Parjatan Bichitra, said apart from the financial benefit, the industry could contribute to preserving environment and culture as resorts were usually built in natural environment.
However, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said a new law might not be needed if resorts could be incorporated in the current law. Because, formulating a new law will be time-consuming and complicated, he said.
But the government will think about it, the minister said, adding that the ministry would soon work on solving the problems of the resort sector.
SM Ghulam Farooque, secretary of the ministry, and Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir, chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, also spoke.
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