Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Destination Management
Destination Management
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Purpose of the Study........................................................................................................................3
Literature Review............................................................................................................................3
Destination Branding.......................................................................................................................3
Target Audience Segmentation........................................................................................................4
Objective..........................................................................................................................................4
Chandranath Temple:.......................................................................................................................5
Sonaichari Hill and Waterfall:.........................................................................................................6
Murgiachara Eco Park:....................................................................................................................6
War Cemetery:.................................................................................................................................7
Mirsharai Upazila:...........................................................................................................................8
SWOT analysis................................................................................................................................9
Promotional activities and branding strategies of Sitakundo.........................................................11
Findings and Analysis of Sitakunda:.............................................................................................12
Accommodation:............................................................................................................................13
Attractions:....................................................................................................................................13
Amenities.......................................................................................................................................14
Activities:.......................................................................................................................................14
Suggestion or recommendations....................................................................................................15
Infrastructure Development...........................................................................................................16
Accumulated Information..............................................................................................................16
Ensure the Security........................................................................................................................16
Marketing and Promotion..............................................................................................................16
Facilitating Local Experiences......................................................................................................17
Showcasing Natural Beauty...........................................................................................................17
Preserving and Promoting Cultural Heritage.................................................................................17
Waste management........................................................................................................................17
Established Washroom or toilets....................................................................................................17
Ensuring Water Supply..................................................................................................................18
Encourage private investment........................................................................................................18
Sitting Facilities.............................................................................................................................18
Transportation................................................................................................................................18
Enhancing Restaurant Quality.......................................................................................................18
Accommodation.............................................................................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................19
Introduction
Background of Sitakunda
Sitakunda is a sub-district located in the Chittagong district of Bangladesh. It is known for its
unique geographical features, environmental significance, and cultural heritage. Sitakunda is
surrounded by hills and is situated close to the Bay of Bengal, offering breathtaking natural
landscapes and diverse ecosystems. The area is rich in cultural heritage, with historical sites,
temples, and traditional practices that reflect its multicultural past.
Importance of Promotion and Branding
Promotion and branding are crucial aspects of destination marketing. Effective promotion helps
raise awareness and attract tourists to a destination, while branding creates a distinct identity and
positioning in the minds of potential visitors. By promoting and branding Sitakunda effectively,
the sub-district can enhance its visibility, attract more tourists, and boost economic growth
through tourism.
Literature Review
Destination Promotion
Destination promotion involves marketing activities aimed at attracting tourists to a specific
location. It includes advertising campaigns, public relations efforts, digital marketing, and other
promotional initiatives. Various theories and frameworks exist in the literature related to
destination promotion, such as the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action), destination
image formation, and the role of destination marketing organizations (DMOs).
Destination Branding
Destination branding focuses on creating a unique and favorable image of a place in the minds of
potential visitors. It involves establishing a destination's identity, positioning, and differentiation
from competitors. Literature suggests that successful destination branding involves
understanding the target audience, leveraging the destination's unique attributes, and delivering a
consistent and compelling brand message.
Identifying and understanding the target audience is crucial for effective destination promotion
and branding. Target audience segmentation involves dividing potential visitors into distinct
groups based on their demographics, psychographics, and travel preferences. Segmentation
enables tailored marketing messages and experiences that resonate with specific audience
segments.
Best Practices and Case Studies
The literature provides insights into best practices and successful case studies in destination
promotion and branding. Examples from various destinations worldwide highlight strategies
such as storytelling, experiential marketing, stakeholder collaboration, and sustainability
initiatives. Case studies demonstrate how destinations have successfully positioned themselves
and attracted specific target markets.
Objective
Provide Recommendations:
Based on the findings from the assessment and analysis, provide practical recommendations for
enhancing Sitakunda's promotion and branding efforts. These recommendations will include
specific strategies and actions that can help position Sitakunda as an attractive and competitive
destination, reach target audiences effectively, and create a strong brand presence.
By achieving these objectives, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of destination
promotion and branding and provide actionable recommendations for Sitakunda's marketing
efforts.
Destination:
Sitakundu, also known as Sitakundu, is a sub-district located in the Chittagong District of
Bangladesh. It is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty and historical significance.
If you are conducting a study on Sitakundu, there are several points of interest that you may
consider as destinations:
Chandranath Temple:
Situated on top of the Chandranath Hill, the Chandranath Temple is a Hindu pilgrimage site
dedicated to Lord Shiva. It attracts both religious devotees and tourists due to its scenic location
and architectural beauty.
Sonaichari Hill and Waterfall:
SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats of a particular destination.
Let's conduct a SWOT analysis for Sitakunda, a popular tourist destination in Bangladesh:
Strengths:
Natural Beauty:
Sitakunda is blessed with scenic landscapes, lush green hills, and breathtaking waterfalls, making
it attractive to nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Archaeological Significance: The area is
rich in archaeological heritage, with ancient Buddhist and Hindu ruins, including the renowned
Chandranath Temple and the Sitakot Vihara.
Biodiversity:
Sitakunda is home to diverse flora and fauna, including various species of plants, animals, and
birds. This biodiversity adds to its ecological appeal.
Proximity to Chittagong:
Sitakunda is located near Chittagong, a major commercial hub in Bangladesh. This proximity
provides easy access to transportation, accommodation, and other facilities for tourists.
Weaknesses:
Infrastructure:
The region may have limited infrastructure in terms of accommodations, transportation, and
tourist facilities. The availability of quality hotels, restaurants, and transportation options may be
limited.
Limited Awareness:
Sitakunda may suffer from a lack of global awareness as a tourist destination. Insufficient
marketing efforts may hinder its ability to attract tourists from both domestic and international
markets.
Environmental Challenges:
Unplanned development and inadequate waste management systems could pose environmental
challenges and affect the natural beauty of the area.
Opportunities:
Tourism Development:
There is significant potential for tourism development in Sitakunda, with opportunities for
investment in accommodations, recreational facilities, and eco-tourism initiatives. Cultural
Tourism: Promoting the historical and cultural significance of Sitakunda can attract tourists
interested in exploring the region's heritage, temples, and archaeological sites.
Adventure Tourism:
The region's scenic landscapes, hills, and waterfalls provide opportunities for adventure activities
such as hiking, trekking, and rock climbing. Developing adventure tourism infrastructure can
attract adventure enthusiasts.
Threats:
Political Instability:
Any political instability in the region or the country as a whole can discourage tourists from
visiting Sitakunda due to concerns about safety and security.
Natural Disasters:
Sitakunda is prone to natural disasters such as cyclones and floods. These events can disrupt
tourism activities and damage infrastructure, impacting visitor numbers.
Competing Destinations:
Other nearby destinations or attractions may offer similar natural beauty or cultural experiences.
Sitakunda needs to differentiate itself and create unique offerings to attract tourists.
It's important to note that this SWOT analysis is a general overview and may not capture all the
specific factors affecting Sitakunda. A more comprehensive analysis would involve a detailed
examination of each element mentioned above and a deeper understanding of the local context.
There are marketing communication tools that will helps increase promotion and brand image of
Sitakunda.
Advertisement:
There should be more advertisement in many television channels about the attractive places of
Sitakundo. If people watch this advertisement, they will get information about the place. It will
persuade teenagers, adults and general public.
Social Media:
Social media allows the brands to reach a wide base of the target audience while promoting
Sitakunda, social media like Facebook, Youtube, should have many promotional videos and
travel vlogs made by content creators. Tiktok has become a broad platform for brands to reach
consumers through video makers. A brand ambassador should be hired. A person, especially a
celebrity, who is paid to endorse or promote a particular company's products or services. The
brand ambassador will provide information about Sitakunda. He/She will show environment,
facilities, transportation, accommodations and amenities. The brand ambassador will go live in
Facebook so that general public can see promoting the place.
Sales Promotion:
Sales promotion comes in all forms such as free samples, gift vouchers, free goods, prizes,
discounts, deals etc. There should be discounts at Sitakundo eco parks and Accommodation like
hotels.
Events:
There should more sport events, festivals, fairs at Sitakunda to increase the visitors for
Sitakunda tourist spot.
Public relations and Publicity:
Good relationship and understanding between the group of stakeholders leads to improvement
on the development of the Sitakunda by decision making for policy and branding strategies.
Public relation can improve the brand’s image and increase the demand for the visitor for
Sitakundo.
Internet marketing:
Internet marketing include email marketing, digital marketing, e-business and e-commerce.
Digital marketing offers great opportunities for tourism organizations and suppliers to promote
and sell their offers and to establish long-lasting relationship with their customers. Travel Mate
Bangladesh is Travel Mate is a registered leading tourism developer, tour planner and Travel
Agency in Bangladesh. Travel Mate is a proud member of the Bangladesh Tourism Foundation
(BTF). The company offers cheap tour packages with the best support for the special days
including holidays and the time of tourist season. Moreover, if a person wants to contact them,
they can reach by phone, email, online website and online messaging from their Facebook page.
The company will help arrange transportation and accommodation. Therefore, people can take
help from this company to visit sitakundo. They arrange domestic and international tours. A
person can contact Travel Mate for Sitakunda Tour Packages, Hotels, Bus Tickets, Air Tickets or
any corporate or event or family trip. There should more articles published at online newspapers
and printed newspapers about Sitakundo with many attractive images of the Sitakundo eco parks,
waterfalls, hills, pilgrimage sites etc. There should be surveys provided to visitors for giving
them feedback about the experience of Sitakunda. There should mobile app for arranging tours at
Sitakunda.
Overall personal selling and word of mouth is the strongest marketing communication tool to
increase promotion, increase the demand of visitors at Sitakunda. A positive feedback provided
by a tourist will influence the people to visit Sitakunda. However, some rumors can lead to
negative feedback that hampers the brand image of Sitakundo.
Accommodation:
There are few qualities residential hotels in Sitakunda Kacha Bazar area and adjacent to
Sitakunda Thana, among which Hotel Comfort Zone, Jalsa, New Saudia, Saudia, Simon is
notable. Hotel Comfort Zone, Jalsa, New Saudia is relatively new and of good quality. Their
room rent is between AC double bed – Tk.1000 and non-AC Tk.500-600. Besides, visitors can
get any quality hotel or restaurant in Chittagong city. There are facilities of residential hotels and
motels of different quality and price in Chittagong city for accommodation. Apart from this,
there are residential facilities for staying in Sitakunda.
Attractions:
Attractive places at Sitakunda are Chandranath Hill, Chandranath Temple, Sagolkanda Waterfall,
Komoldoho Waterfall, Sohosrodhara Waterfall, Sitakunda Eco Park, Mohamaya Lake, Bashbaria
Sea Beach, Guliakhali Sea Beach, Suptadhara Waterfall, Jhorjhori Waterfalls, and Kumira Ghat.
Sitakunda is a major site for pilgrimage in Bangladesh, as it features 280 mosques (including the
Shah Mosque) 8 mazars (including Baro Awlias Mazar, Kalu Shah Mazar, Fakir Hat Mazar,
Shahjahani Shah Mazar), 49 Hindu temples (including Labanakhya Mandir, Chandranath
Mandir, Shambunath Mandir), 3 ashrams (including Sitakunda Shankar Math), and 3 Buddhist
temples. Chandranath Hill is 4 km from Sitakunda Bazar in Chittagong. A hill to the east is one
of the most popular trekking routes for visitors. The height of Chandranath hill is
approximately 1020 feet. There are two ways to climb Chandranath hill. The road on the right is
almost entirely of stairs and the road on the left is entirely a mountain path, with some broken
stairs. About 150 feet away from the Birupaksha temple is the Chandranath Temple which is
located on the top of Chandranath hill. The Sahosrodhara Waterfall is located in the Sitakunda
Ecopark of the evergreen forest in the traditional Chandranath Reserve Forest Block of Sitakunda
Upazila of Chittagong District. The ecopark is 35 km from Chittagong city. To the north is the
east side of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway and railway. The water in this spring is much less
during the rest of the year except the rainy season. Sitakunda is a 40-minute path from
Chittagong city, where there is a wonderful tourist spot. In Sitakunda, there are two fountains,
one named Sahasra Dhara Jharna and the other Suptadhara Jharna. Sitakunda Eco Park also has a
collection of rare trees that will sharpen your perception of the tree, as well as the high hills here
will give tourist a natural unique feeling. Guliakhali Sea Beach is located in Sitakunda upazila of
Chittagong district. To the locals this beach is known as Muradpur Beach. The distance from
Sitakunda Bazar to Guliyakhali Sea Beach is only 5 km. Suptadhara Waterfall adorns the
Ecopark in the evergreen forest of Chandranath Reserve Forest in Sitakunda Upazila of
Chittagong Hill Tracts. Normally, except for the monsoon season, the water level in this spring is
very low throughout the year. However, during the rainy season, the Suptadhara spring fills itself
perfectly. There is another waterfall called Sahasradhara Jharna near Suptadhara Jharna. The
festivals of Shiva Chaturdashi in middle of the month of Falgun (end of February) and Chaitra
Sankranti at end of the month of Chaitra (mid-April) are observed with much fanfare, featuring
the largest Hindu fair of the district.
Amenities
The Sitakunda Upazila Krira Sangstha (Sports Club) is noted for its participation in soccer. There
are 151 clubs, a public library and two cinema halls in the upazila. The first eco-park in
Bangladesh, Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco Park, was established in 2001 along with a
botanical garden, under a five-year (2000–2004) development project at a cost of Tk 35.7 million
on 808 hectares (1,997 acres) of the Chandranath Hills in Sitakunda. The eco-park was
established to facilitate biodiversity conservation, natural regeneration, new plantations and
infrastructure development, as well as to promote nature-based tourism to generate income.
Presently there are parking lots for Eco Park. Toilet facilities are available for free in three
locations. Botanical garden and Eco Park has full facility with drinking water, rest house and
toilet for picnic. There is a plant nursery selling Bangladeshi and foreign plants and various kinds
of Bamboos. Sitakunda has only one cyclone shelter, each of which is capable of holding 50 to
60 people. Sitakunda municipality, Barabkunda, Bhatiary and Bansbaria have four shelters each.
Activities:
The health service centers in the upazila include a health complex, an infectious diseases
hospital, a railway TB hospital, 11 family planning centres and a veterinary treatment centre.
Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board (BTTB) and RanksTel run telephone services in the
upazila. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has brought
internet services to the upazila by establishing Rural Knowledge Centres (RKC).National
newspapers published in Dhaka including Prothom Alo, Ajker Kagoj, Janakantha and The Daily
Ittefaq are available in Sitakunda, as well as regional newspapers published in Chittagong Azadi
and Purbakon. It also has its own local newspapers and a journalist community. Television
channels available in the upazila include satellite television channels like Channel i, ATN
Bangla, Channel One, NTV, as well as terrestrial television channel Bangladesh Television.
Moreover the highest number of visitors per day in Guliakhali beach in season and offseason.The
lowest number of visitors per day was found in Sohosrodhara waterfall. The visitor presents in
the Chandranath Hill and Temple in special occasion (Shiva Chaturdashi Mela) which was the
highest number in all the tourist spots. It was also found that the tourists mostly visited
Mohamaya lake, Guliakhali beach, Kumira ghat and Vatiarylake during Eid vacation.
There is insufficient security, inadequate washroom/Change room, rough road condition, absence
of drinking water supply, accommodation shortage, sitting facilities absent, inadequate publicity,
extra transportation charge, low-quality restaurants, weak mobile network and disturbance to
agriculture in Sitakunda. The primary factor hindering was inadequate washroom facility in
Mohamaya Lake. About 43% of respondents opined that it was a significant factor that hinders
ecotourism development. In Sitakunda, about 23% of respondents espoused that lack of security
and bad road conditions hindered ecotourism development. These factors showed the tourist
spots problems and limitations retard the number of visitors in the spots. It also diminished the
satisfaction of the tourists visiting the spots.
Problems of Sitakunda of Sitakunda (%)
Chattogram
Security 23.1
Washroom/Change room 16.5
Bad road condition 23.1
Water supply 7.7
Accommodation/night 6.6
staying
The findings highlight the issues related to security, washroom facilities, road conditions,
drinking water supply, accommodation, sitting facilities, publicity, transportation charges,
restaurant quality, and mobile network coverage etc. By implementing the suggested strategies,
Setakundu can significantly improve its infrastructure and amenities, thereby fostering
sustainable development and enhancing the overall experience for residents and visitors.
Infrastructure Development
There should be happen the Improvement on road networks and transportation services to
enhance accessibility to Setakundu. Infrastructural development can increase the the number of
visitor or tourist. So, first of all, we should focus on infrastructural development to attack the
tourists who want come to see the beauty of Sitakundu. Improve overall infrastructure of this
place.
Accumulated Information
Build Technology base modern Information sharing system and tourist information centers to
provide information and proper guidance to the visitors. A website should be opened officially
for the visitors.
Sitakundu is an area which surrounded by hills. So, the security of visitor must have to ensure by
the government as if the security issue can't discourage both tourists and locals from visiting.
Ensure the safety of tourists by improving streetlighting, establishing a dedicated tourist police or
Police station can be established. There can be Install CC cameras in strategic locations to
monitor activities and enhance safety.
Develop or create a marketing strategy that highlights the unique attractions and experiences
offered by Setakundu. There should be use the Digital platforms and social media to reach target
audience to make potential tourists. Appoint a brand ambassador for this place. Must come to a
consensus with travel agencies, tour operators, and influencers to promote Setakundu as most
attractive destination.
There should be Develop a eco-tourism initiatives that highlight Setakundu's natural beauty,
including forests, rivers, and hills. Create nature trails, hiking routes, and adventure activities to
attract nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers. One of the main attractions of Sitakunda is the
Hindu God shiva's temples. It is located in a beautiful place. People have to show such beautiful
destinations
Preserve and narcher the historical sites and natural environment of Setakundu. Organize cultural
events, festivals, and exhibitions to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the region. Create new
cultural centers and museums to educate the tourists about the local traditions and history of a
serialization.
Waste management
Make sure a good waste management system, to ensure proper disposal and re-using of waste
which are generated by the visitor or tourists. Promote responsibly to tourists encouraged them to
minimizing water and energy consumption and reducing plastic usage. Create a.
Ensure access to safe drinking water.Install water purification systems at public places,
including parks, markets, and tourist attractions.
To encrage private sector for investment on this side government should Provide incentives and
tax breaks to attract developers and facilitate the expansion of lodging facilities. Like in
construction of hotels, guesthouses, and homestays sites.
Sitting Facilities
After specified distance there should be Install benches, shaded areas, and seating arrangements
at popular tourist spot. Authority should Make Car parks and gardens with seating options for
relaxation. Plantation of shade trees on both sides of the road to provide shade to tourists.
Transportation
A fair fare should be determined for transportation. Transportation charges can discourage
visitors from exploring Setakundu. Maximum destination Most of the destinations have to go on
CNG so public transport should be included in the travel. Encourage fair pricing for
transportation services through government regulations.
Poor quality of food is available in most places. Monitoring should be done to improve food
quality. Government non-government initiatives should be taken to establish good food hotels.
Low-quality restaurants can affect the overall dining experience of visitors. Government Should
Make guidelines and regulations for maintaining hygiene and food quality standards.
Accommodation
According to the demand, there is a lack of accommodation facilities. Therefore, various hotels,
cottages, bungalows should be built by government and private enterprises. It is not possible for
the government alone, but in this case, government-private efforts should be made. As an
additional opportunity, private institutions should be provided assistance by the government.
Conclusion
Sitakundu is a very nice place to a visitor or tourists Because of its Beauty. It has cultural,
historical, natural and relational appeal. It contains a faith for Hindu religious people. Such as
Chandra Nath trample. Sitakunda also has many other places of interest including mountains,
beaches, springs, temples. So, it can be said that its appeal will never end. A lot of tourists will
come if this destination is well planned. By doing this, it is expected that the socio-economic
development of the country and the society will be bright as well as the image of the country. By
implementing the suggestion or recommendations, Setakundu can transform into a most
interesting tourist destination. The development of infrastructure, preservation of cultural
heritage, save natural beauty, facilitating local experiences, improving hospitality services,
promoting sustainable practices, and strengthening marketing efforts will contribute to
Setakundu's growth as a significant contributor to the tourism sector in Bangladesh.