Bangladesh needs better tourism information, promotion to attract Japanese travelers: Editor Mizuno

Dhaka : Bangladesh has considerable potential to attract more Japanese tourists but needs to improve travel information, destination promotion and visitor-friendly facilities, according to Jun Mizuno, Editor of Japanese travel publication Globe-trotter Travel Guidebook.

Talking to The Bangladesh Monitor, Mizuno, who has worked as a travel writer for about four decades, said Bangladesh remains poorly represented in Japan in terms of accessible tourism information, despite having numerous destinations and experiences that could interest Japanese travelers.

Globe-trotter Travel Guidebook began publishing travel books in 1978-79 and has produced more than 200 titles covering around 110 countries. The publication generally produces a country guide each year, while larger destinations such as the United States receive multiple editions annually.

The publication first released a guidebook on Bangladesh in 2010 after Mizuno noticed that Bangladesh was one of the countries for which the series had not yet produced a guide. The project proved challenging because there was very little practical information available in Japan about traveling around Bangladesh.

Globe-trotter Travel Guidebook on Bangladesh

Information on transportation, including where to find buses, departure times and routes, as well as accommodation and other practical details, was difficult to obtain. Despite those challenges, the Bangladesh guide became highly successful, with copies selling out and additional print runs being required.

Mizuno mentioned the book attracted not only tourists but also business travelers and people interested in Bangladesh who wanted to keep the guide for future trips. The publication subsequently produced several Bangladesh editions, with the last one released in 2015.

The series stopped updating its Bangladesh coverage following the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka, in which Japanese citizens were among those killed, and later the Covid-19 pandemic. After roughly a decade, the publication has returned to Bangladesh, finding that the shortage of practical tourism information remains largely unchanged.

According to Mizuno, Bangladesh has made visible progress in areas such as roads, food and beverage services, hotels and restaurants over the past decade. However, information that enables foreign visitors to travel independently remains inadequate.

Japanese travelers documenting authentic experiences in Bangladesh

He pointed to a lack of clear signage and easily accessible information about where to stay, eat, visit and what activities are available. This can make it difficult for travelers to plan and move around the country, particularly those traveling independently.

Mizuno also claimed Bangladesh lags behind countries such as India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in tourism promotion. While those destinations have actively marketed themselves internationally, many potential Japanese visitors remain unaware of what Bangladesh has to offer.

He argued that the issue is not necessarily cost. Bangladesh can be competitive with other South Asian destinations, but potential visitors often lack enough information to make the decision to travel.

Safety, health and other concerns exist across many destinations in South and Southeast Asia, he expressed. Better information can help travelers understand and prepare for such challenges rather than allowing uncertainty to prevent travel altogether.

Globe-trotter Travel Guidebook is publishing its Bangladesh guide independently and without sponsorship, allowing its writers to provide what Mizuno described as authentic information. The objective is to help both individual and group travelers understand what to expect and travel more confidently.

Mizuno further noted Bangladesh could also work more closely with Japanese outbound travel agencies, local tour operators and government agencies to develop tourism products based on market demand and promote them in Japan.

With more travelers seeking new destinations, he believes Bangladesh can tap an emerging market if it makes its attractions easier to discover and travel information easier to access.

"People don't know, hence they are not coming," Mizuno concluded, stressing that stronger promotion and practical information could bring more Japanese visitors to Bangladesh.