BTB's webinar for Khulna's journalists to enhance work capacity on tourism

Dhaka : Bangladesh Tourism Board organised a webinar on capacity enhancement training for journalists of Khulna working on the tourism sector on April 26. 
CEO Jabed Ahmed and Director Abu Tahir Zaber of BTB were present on the occasion along with many media representatives from Khulna while Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor of the premier tourism publication The Bangladesh Monitor attended the webinar as a special guest. 
Addressing Khulna's potential to become a tourism hub, CEO of BTB Jabed Ahmed at the webinar said, Khulna is home to two UNESCO world heritage sites: Sundarbans and the Mosque City of Bagerhat. These destinations welcome many domestic and foreign tourists every year. Thus, the government is prioritising to make Khulna a tourism hotspot by facilitating tourism development and promoting it worldwide. 
But with the government, even journalists working on the tourism sector, have a huge role to play in this regard, said the CEO of the national tourism organisation. 
They are key to present the beauties of these sites to the travellers, both domestic and foreign, with their news coverage and features published in their respective newspapers.
Special guest Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor of the longest running exclusive tourism publication The Bangladesh Monitor further shed light on how the journalists can increase their work capacity on tourism. 
He urged the journalists to work long enough in this sector to be able to learn about it. Usually, journalists covering tourism beat are also seen covering other sectors. Thus, they do not get to specialise on tourism alone, said the Editor. 
Also, in the media, Wahidul Alam stressed, a practice of covering negative news can be noticed very often. However, we do not see as much positive news on tourism. This habit must be changed. 
Criticism is important, but we need to promote tourism as well, attracting tourists to come and visit Khulna, he added. 
Lastly, media houses in Khulna must opt for online versions of their newspapers as well, said the Editor. By going online, they can reach a wider audience and showcase Bangladesh and its tourism potentials through their news coverage worldwide.
CEO of Bangladesh Tourism Board Jabed Ahmed mentioned that the government is prioritising Sundarbans and other key tourism destinations of Khulna in the tourism master plan which is currently in the works. This follows the plan of the government to make Sundarbans an eco-tourism hub. And for other districts of Khulna division, BTB will come forth with a strategy plan by June this year for developing rural and community tourism in certain destinations.
Furthermore, to better prepare the people involved in Khulna's tourism sector, BTB is planning to hold workshops in many areas of the division in the coming days and organise many of such webinars for tourism workers, hoteliers, hospitality professionals, and media representatives.