Dhaka: Bangladesh can earn US$ 6 billion in revenue a year by promoting tourism in the country’s ancient Buddhist heritage sites and thus attracting foreign tourists, says a tourism expert.

‘If we can attract 1.5 lakh foreign tourists to visit Buddhist heritage sites a year, it’ll be quite possible to earn revenue of over US$ 6 billion,’ director of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) Masud Hossain told a workshop in the capital on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has immense potentials to explore the opportunity, he said, as there are over 500 Buddhist ancient monasteries and temples in Bangladesh against the total global figure of 6,000.

Masud Hossain said there are about 450 to 480 million Buddhists across the world and they frequently visit the ancient holy Buddhist archaeological sites and relics.

About 2.25 lakh foreign tourists visited Gaya in 2014 while over 2 lakh in Bodhgaya, 1.25 lakh in Nalanda and 1.25 lakh in Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, he said, adding that although three ancient Buddhist sites -- Paharpur, Mahasthangath and Moinamoti -- are located in Bangladesh, only 3,241 foreign tourists visited the sites till date.

Masud suggested strengthening Saarc tourism relations, ensuring proper transportation facilities of tourists and proper accommodation facilities close to the main archaeological sites and branding and positioning of the ancient sites located in the country.

Bangladesh Tourism Board organised the national workshop titled ‘Developing Sustainable Tourism based on Buddhist Heritage Culture and Pilgrimage Circuit’ at Cirdap conference centre.

Speaking on the occasion, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor said about 1,100 tourists travel the world every year to see tourist spots, spending over US$ 1,000 billion.

Tourists of the Buddhist community dominated China spending about US$ 165 billion a year to visit tourist spots, and Bangladesh should take steps to attract the Chinese tourists by promoting tourism sector, he said.

The Cultural Affairs Minister urged the private sector to come forward to invest in the country’s tourism sector and develop it to attract foreign tourists.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said his ministry is going to arrange tourism fair tilted, ‘Explore Buddhist Heritage - Bangladesh 2015’ on October 27-28 next to showcase the tourism products and draw attention of foreign tourists to visit the Buddhists heritage sites.

He said the tourism sector has huge potentials to contribute to the country’s GDP (gross domestic product) after the readymade garment sector.

‘Tourism culture has to be developed in our country, but we must establish it…if the country’s private sector comes forward, our tourism sector will go ahead,’ Menon said.

Civil Aviation and Tourism secretary Khurshed Alam Chowdhury, chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Board Dr Aparup Chowdhury and former director general of Archaeological Department Shafiqul Islam, among others, spoke at the workshop.