Bangladesh has plans to introduce cruise tourism to Sri Lanka to strengthen people to people contact between the two countries.
Bangladesh High Commissioner Tarek Ariful Islam told the Daily News that with the enhanced relations between Sri Lanka and his country, there is a plan to introduce cruise tourism to Colombo.
The envoy explained that Bangladesh interested in extending the present political relations to sectoral cooperation which would open up new areas in bilateral relations between the two countries. He said that with the onset of the COVID crisis,Western tourists are reluctant visit Asian countries and the cruise tourism will help people in the region to travel to each other’s countries. At present, he said there are six flights a week between the two countries which caters to tourists from the two countries and for the 25,000 Lankans working in Bangladesh.
Following the recent visit of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to Dhaka in March, Sri Lanka recently received a currency swap of $250 million from Bangladesh.
PM Rajapaksa visited Dhaka for the celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh in March. “During the visit, the meeting between the Lankan and the Bangladesh Premiers has opened a new chapter in the relations between the two countries,” the envoy noted.
With this visit, Bangladesh is interested in promoting bilateral trade in several areas. “The present volume of bilateral trade of $150 million is nothing when compared to the strength of the two countries, therefore we want to expand the areas to shipping, more exports and imports and tourism.
Source : Daily News
