Dhaka, Bangladesh, 30 April 2008 (IUCN) – IUCN Bangladesh Country Office has organized a dialogue on ‘Nature-Based Tourism in Bangladesh: Growth Pattern and Demand for Tourism in Selected National Parks’ on 29 April 2008 at a local restaurant in Gulshan, Dhaka. Recently, IUCN Bangladesh conducted a study on the changing trends in the ecotourism in the Protected Areas (PAs) of Bangladesh under the Nishorgo Support Project (NSP). In this meeting the findings of the study was shared and discussion took place on imposing entry fees on the visitors to the PAs. The NSP is a project of Bangladesh Forest Department being implemented by IRG, with financial assistance from USAID.

One important outcome of the study was a deepened understanding of the “willingness to pay” to visit the National Parks. Understanding this willingness to pay is a central means of understanding the demand for Protected Areas, and the appropriate entry fee levels that could be set for National Parks. In light of the Government’s commitment to allow a sharing of entry fees from Nishorgo pilot sites with local stakeholders, understanding of PA demand becomes central to understanding potential community benefit from PA conservation.

After the presentation of the findings by the Team Leader of the study Prof. A.K. Enamul Haque, Department of Economics, East West University, Dhaka, a lively discussion took place. The major discussion points included the fixing of appropriate entry fees for different PAs, limitations of such ventures, controlling as well as attracting visitors through imposing fees, and how the revenue earned from entry fees could be utilized for improvement of PAs and also improving the livelihoods of the communities included under the co-management system.

A.H.M. Rezaul Kabir, ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Among others, the meeting was also graced by Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Global IUCN Councilor; Azharul Mazumder, USAID; A.K.M. Shamsuddin, Chief Conservator of Forests; Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmad, National Project Director, NSP; and Philip J. De Cosse, Chief of Party, NSP. Dr. Ainun Nishat, Country Representative, IUCN Bangladesh facilitated the dialogue.

Participants from different government ministries and agencies including MoEF, Forest Department, Department of Environment, External Resource Division, Finance Division, Ministry of Education, and representatives from IUCN member organizations, NGOs, academic, economists, senior ex-government officials, newspaper and media, and tour operators took part in the discussion.  

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Notes to editors 

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

• Mahbubur Rahman Masum , IUCN Bangladesh Communications Officer, Tel: +880 2 989 0395; Fax: +880 2 989 2854;
  masumiucnbd.org; Web: http://www.iucnbd.org/

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