USAID Ecotourism Activity

Covering approximately 10,000 km², the Sundarbans (meaning ‘the beautiful forest’ in Bengali) is the largest remaining contiguous tract of mangrove forest on Earth, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar Site for outstanding natural, cultural, and economic values. Encompassing 40% of all forested land in the country, this unique area is home to 35% of all wildlife in Bangladesh, including endangered species such as the Salt-water Crocodile, ring lizard, Ganges River Dolphin, Irrawaddy Dolphin, around 300 species of birds, and the iconic Bengal tiger. As Bangladesh’s most iconic tourism destination, over 100,000 visitors made the journey to the Sundarbans in 2019; yet to date, few of the local communities most reliant upon the forest for their survival have directly benefited from tourism.

With over 2 million people directly dependent upon the Sundarbans for both their livelihoods and protection from the impacts of climate change, additional economic development opportunities for local people are sorely needed. The Bangladesh Ecotourism & Conservation Alliance is working to unite destination stakeholders around a common vision for tourism, providing support for enterprise development, visitor services, tour guide training, destination marketing, and more, ensuring that tourism benefits local people and helps to protect this iconic destination for generations to come.