Rhetoric and reality in Bangladesh: elite stakeholder perceptions of the implementation of tourism policy

ABSTRACT

National tourism policy in Bangladesh is a relatively new development and this research is the first to focus on the implementation of tourism policy in Bangladesh. Taking a social constructivist perspective, interviews were carried out with 13 elite stakeholders, from the public and private sectors, who are associated with the creation and implementation of tourism policy in Bangladesh. The data were analysed qualitatively using a content analysis approach to examine perceptions of the policy implementation process, and its success. In the case of Bangladesh, it is the persistence of hierarchical governance structures that appears to be hindering the effective implementation of tourism policy. This can be seen in the selection of priority areas by the government, the preferred policy instruments, and in the ways in which the private sector is being incentivised to support national tourism development.

KEYWORDS:

• Bangladesh
• tourism policy
• implementation
• elite interviews
• social constructivism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Azizul Hassan is a member of the Tourism Consultants Network of the Tourism Society, UK. His research interests concentrate on technology supported marketing in tourism, innovations in tourism marketing, heritage interpretation and sustainable marketing alternatives for heritage tourism industries.

James Kennell is the Executive Director of the London Office of the International Tourism Studies Association and a Fellow of the Tourism Society as well as Principal Lecturer in Tourism at the University of Greenwich. James carries out research into the public policy and political economy aspects of tourism, as well as into cultural and non-corporate events. He has published a number of articles, book chapters and other papers and is a regular contributor to a range of media such as BBC News, BBC Radio 4 and The Guardian newspaper.

Samantha Chaperon is Principal Lecturer in Tourism and Events at the University of Greenwich, with a specialism in understanding the policy challenges faced by peripheral destinations. Her PhD examined the development of tourism in the Maltese islands during the period of their accession to the European Union and her recent publications have been on tourism policy and the creation of new governance arrangements for tourism. As a consultant, Samantha has recently worked on a national study that analysed the impact of new governance arrangements on the development and management of tourism across the United Kingdom.