Asian Development Bank and South Asia Subregional Economic Coopperation Tourism Working Group

Abstract

Tourism is a priority sector in the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program. At its second annual meeting, the SASEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) identified the preparation of a subregional tourism masterplan as a priority and requested support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to prepare the plan. TWG refined this request at its third meeting, agreeing that it should be a subregional Tourism Development Plan (TDP or “the Plan”), and that it should build upon existing tourism plans in each of the four SASEC countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. TWG also agreed that the Plan should establish a thematic framework for future tourism development, and that planning should start with two common themes: Ecotourism based on Natural and Cultural Heritage, and Buddhist Circuits.