Get the message out about Bangladesh tourism: PATA Chairman Andrew Jones

Bangladesh must spread the word about opportunities for travel and tourism in order to grow its hospitality industry, says Andrew Jones, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association or PATA.

Shoumik Hassinbdnews24.com
Published : 17 May 2017, 11:27 AM
Updated : 17 May 2017, 02:01 PM

The brisk and pleasant executive flew in to Dhaka to participate in an event organised by the travel association's Bangladesh chapter at the Regency Hotel on Saturday.

In an exclusive interview with bdnews24.com, he shed light on his organisation, its philosophy and the scope for development in Bangladesh’s tourism industry.

"In Bangladesh we see a lot of opportunities for developing tourism," said Jones. "Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. We're trying to get the message out.”

"We had a great forum last year [at Cox's Bazar]. A lot of oversees businesses came for the first time. They saw the beauty of the country. They met the people and experienced their hospitality.”

The event generated a lot of interest in foreigners about Bangladesh and gave the country more exposure as a destination for tourism, said Jones.

PATA, which brings together public and public sector organisations in the tourism field, aims to act as a catalyst for this change and create responsible and sustainable tourism development in the Asia Pacific region.

"A very important part of what we're doing is sustainability," said Jones. "We try to find a balance between developing the tourism industry with the impact that it has on the environment and the people, both socially and financially."

Cooperation between public and private sectors is necessary to find this balance, he added.

The private sector drives development and always will, but the government and local authorities are the guardians of the community and must consider both economic development and needs of local people, he said.

To maintain this balance, PATA encourages the development of secondary tourist destinations which can limit overcrowding and overstimulation of the market.

Not only does this limit the ecological impact of tourist activities, it shares the economic impact with a wider community, said Jones.

PATA also promotes corporate social responsibility in the tourism industry.

Jones is particularly enthusiastic about its educational efforts.

"I basically started off as a chef and ended up as the vice president of a hotel group and I want to use my vocation to give back to the community, to share our experiences and knowledge with others, especially young people.”

 

"This is why I'm so happy and excited to see the PATA student chapter in Bangladesh doing so well. These are the people that will take us forward as an industry and create opportunities for the country,” Jones said.

Jones, 65, has been involved in the hotel business for most of his life, having grown up in his family's hotel business in the United Kingdom.

He has lived in Asia for the past 33 years.

"I fell in love with Asia, I felt at home in Asia. I made a lot of friends here.”

"I really enjoy and appreciate the different cultures that I experience, the different cuisine, the heritage and culture. There is a diversity here that you don't find in many other places."

He smiles when asked where he likes to travel in his spare time.

“That's always the question. I can't say I have a favourite. They're all so unique."

But he admits he has a soft spot for Bhutan.

"I did particularly like Bhutan I have to say. And I'll tell you why. They managed their development very sustainably. They have the Gross National Happiness Index. I think that's a great philosophy and mirrors the image of the country and the people. They've done it really well. It's all about managing the process and I feel like theirs is a good example."

Jones's other passion is Sanctuary Resorts, an organisation that seeks to provide services and facilities to help people realise their potential physically, mentally and spiritually.

Sanctuary Resorts has created and manages resorts such as The Bale in Bali, The Racha in Thailand, Shinta Mani, Siem Reap and La Flora in Khao Lak and Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap.