Is the Tourism-Sun Rising or Setting in the Tourism Industry of Bangladesh? An Investigation from the Perspective of Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) Model

Sardar S, Hassan MS, Md. Uddin B, Md. Islam M and Islam M

Published on: 2024-03-22

Abstract

The use of the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model by the tourism sector is nothing new on a worldwide scale. From coastal to alpine destinations, this idea is still applied to many topics of tourism studies today. But there was little hint at TALC's implementation in Bangladesh, although the model's importance. The nation has recently suggested moving up the development ladder from "Developing Country" to "Least Developed Country" (LDC). A significant portion of this growth came from the tourist industry, which accounted for 4.4% of the country's GDP (WTTC, 2020). But TALC has not yet been investigated by Bangladesh's tourist sector. To assess where Bangladesh's tourist sector is now, this research used Butler's TALC model. For determining the stages, secondary data were examined in Microsoft Excel 2016. Afterward, ten in-depth interviews with academics and tourism practitioners were conducted to validate the variables of the stages of the TALC checklist. The study found that the tourism industry of Bangladesh is passing the development stage. The validity of the development phase was demonstrated by the factors of the development stage such as an identifiable tourist market, a decline opportunity in host community participation and control of development, the provision of modern amenities by external entities, and the expansion of artificial facilities. This research proposed strategies to graduate from the development stage of TALC such as intensive promotion through embassies and consulates, easy Visa accessibility, proper safety-security, capacity building of the stakeholders especially host community, promoting responsible tourism, Public Private Partnership (PPP), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and coordination & cooperation among regulatory agencies. This study may serve as a theoretical and practical guide for designing new tourism policies for uplifting the tourism industry in TALC's later phases. This study concludes with a discussion of its limitations and directions for future research.