Mongla Boat Operators Association Workshop
Published: 30 May 2022
Hosting tourism planning workshops across Bangladesh allows the Alliance to provide local stakeholders with a platform to discuss challenges and opportunities for tourism development in the Sundarbans. By channeling the sense of collaboration within the community and tourism sector, we hope to promote shared dialogue so we can identify how to achieve our collective goals. BECA held a productive, tourism planning workshop in Mongla on April 5th, 2022 centered around supporting the biodiversity of the Sundarbans while simultaneously stimulating community development.
Advantageously located across the river from the Sundarbans National Park, the port city of Mongla has opened its arms to tourists. Mongla provides access to the notable Karamjol and Hiron Points of the park with simply a boat ride down the river, which has become an experience on its own. In recent years, the city has considerably shaped tourism development in the Sundarbans thanks to the local tour operators, organizations, and other dedicated stakeholders. Mongla has endless potential as a gateway to the Sundarbans. Through these workshops, we equip the local tourism sector with additional resources to fulfill this potential.
The goal of this particular workshop was to pinpoint ways to improve the visitor experience of the overall journey from the Mongla Port to the Sundarbans, including the boat trip visitors embark on and the various stopping points along the way. We also aimed to identify opportunities for immersive cultural experiences that incorporate local cuisine, artisanal practices, and performances. In order to hear feedback from all workshop participants regarding these goals, we broke down these objectives into questions for participants to gather into groups and discuss. Based on these discussions, each group presented constructive recommendations ranging from methods for enhancing tour guide training to concepts for new ecotourism sites. Every conversation allowed us to uncover core issues that hinder the city’s progress as a destination. A consistent concern that arose was the need for environmentally conscious practices amongst both tourists and tour operators. Disseminating knowledge on environmental management is vital to sustain a tourism industry in a region as sensitive as the Sundarbans. Many participants identified the infrastructure needed to enhance the experience of both tourists and stakeholders.
Through these workshops, the Alliance deepens our relationship with community members to foster productivity in a conscious manner. Together, we can centralize our vision for the impacts of tourism so it promotes both the social and environmental wellbeing of the region.
