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Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan: Experimenting AI-powered Data Framework as a Transformative Tool
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that despite being a country with tremendous tourism potential, Bangladesh is not being able to take the full advantage of it. In 2023, over 30 million domestic and 655,000 foreign tourists vacationed in Bangladesh, marking the country's immense potential to become a ‘Tourism Hotspot’ of Southeast Asia.[1] Despite this, there is no integrated tourist database, resulting in a holistic data sharing framework. Such lack in a National Data Framework in tourism sector hinders data-driven decision making for policymakers to implement Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
Bangladesh, with its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, Cox’s Bazar—the world’s longest sea beach—and the Sundarbans, holds immense tourism potential. However, poor stakeholder coordination and data gaps hinder progress in this sector. The Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 ranks Bangladesh the lowest in South Asia for policies enabling sustainable tourism development, underscoring urgent reform needs. To establish Bangladesh as a sustainable and inclusive global tourism hub, the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) developed a 25-year Master Plan. Data gaps in areas like sustainable tourism, traditional local products sources and visitor expectations led to a strategic collaboration between BTB and UNDP Bangladesh Accelerator Lab for informed policy development and implementation.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
In Bangladesh, tourism sector contributes slightly greater than 3% in the national GDP, whereas Maldives one-third of the national GDP is contributed by the tourism sector. Approximately, 5 million people are directly or indirectly engaged in the tourism sector of Bangladesh and additional 2 million workforce will be added in this sector gradually within 2030. Despite immense potential and natural resources, Bangladesh is unable to reap the full benefits of tourism due to lack of centralized data framework and a holistic tourism plan.
https://www.undp.org/bangladesh/blog/mapping-tourists-mind-introduce-and-nurture-data-driven-decision-making-culture-tourism-sector-creating-informal-employment
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Bangladesh is endowed with remarkable natural beauty, yet the country has struggled to harness its tourism sector as a major contributor to GDP. Unregulated and unplanned growth has led to the absence of a centralized tourism information hub and ineffective policy implementation. The lack of data innovation and real-time analytics has hindered understanding of tourist preferences, sustainable practices, and personalization. With the rising popularity of adventure and Community-Based Tourism (CBT), there is an urgent need for data-driven solutions and AI-powered innovations to elevate the sector and ensure its sustainable growth.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
UNDP Bangladesh Accelerator Lab has conducted experiments on CBT, data innovation, system thinking and AI intervention. The Accelerator Lab has strong collaboration with Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) and both parties jointly conducted relevant interventions in multiple locations of the country. The lab also contributed to formulating in Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan which outlines a 25-year strategy to position the country as a premier global tourist destination by 2041. UNDP Bangladesh Accelerator Lab is uniquely positioned to contribute to developing a National Data Framework to implement Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. From its multilateral partnership, the Accelerator Lab is also positioned to bring in Government agencies, private sector stakeholders, industry association for their participation and organizational buy-in. The Lab will also connect relevant Global Accelerator Labs for knowledge and experience sharing. Previously, UNDP Bangladesh Accelerator Lab collaborated with UNDP Thailand acceleration Lab on sharing learning and experience on community-based tourism. These global knowledge sharing adds tremendous value in such initiatives. Lab will also leverage Artificial Intelligence in implementation of the Tourism Master Plan.
https://file.portal.gov.bd/uploads/8ef2a505-c131-4a8f-b6d0-2ac4760cc936/631/6c4/06a/6316c406a9807875210649.pdf
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
National Data Framework for Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan for Data Innovation and AI-powered sustainable tourism.
#UNDP_BD Accelerator Lab #DataInnovation
#AIpoweredTourism #Bangladesh
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Bangladesh Tourism Board
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
BTB will lead the implementation of Bangladesh tourism master plan With support from. Even to be Bangladesh Accelerator Lab and other stakeholders.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics:
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
It is the central data source of the government of Bangladesh. The National framework will be operated in collaboration with BBS
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Tour Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (TOAB)
What sector does our partner belong to?
Private Sector
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
As one of the most dynamic body in the tourism and hospitality sector of Bangladesh TOAB will provide instrumental support to this initiative
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Bangladesh Tourist Police
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
The Bangladesh Tourist Police, as a key government agency, will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of tourists, fostering a secure and welcoming environment for both domestic and international visitors.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Aspire To Innovate (a2i):
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
a2i will extend knowledge and advisory support in implementing final data framework and AI enabled real-time visual visualization.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
How National Data Framework can be developed as an effective means for implementing Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan?
How AI-powered interventions can impact the tourism landscape in Bangladesh?
How can real-time data visualization support evidence-based policymaking for sustainable and inclusive tourism growth?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Explore, Test, Grow
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
An AI-powered Dashboard integrating system thinking, and the mentioned innovation tools are set to revolutionize tourism management in Bangladesh. This innovative platform will provide real time insights into visitor trends, economic impact and environmental sustainability. By leveraging Ai-driven forecasting, policymakers can make data informed decisions, enhance tourism experiences and ensure sustainable growth. The dashboard will serve as a one stop hub fostering collaboration across sectors positioning Bangladesh as a data driven tourism destination
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Currently, a unified data ecosystem, real-time data for informed decision-making, and insights into tourist behavior and preferences are missing. Data on sustainable tourism practices, promoting eco-friendly initiatives, community-based tourism, location, availability are also not structured and available. Having these data in a structured manner, will enhance decision-making, improve stakeholder coordination, enable targeted marketing, and increase transparency and accountability in the tourism sector, ultimately positioning Bangladesh as a premier global tourist destination.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
The tourism industry has vast potential to grow and potential to be one of the major contributors to GDP. AI powered national data framework can potentially. Be a game changer in the tourism industry of Bangladesh. Collaboration, commitment and contribution of all relevant stakeholders in developing this visualization platform/ dashboard will enable it as a one stop hub and facilitate data-driven decision making. The growing tourism and hospitality industry, local communities, tourists (national and international) of Bangladesh will highly benefit from this challenge.
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8Decent work and economic growth
9Industry, innovation and infrastructure
11Sustainable cities and communities
12Responsible consumption and production
13Climate action
17Partnerships for the goals
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