Community-based tourism has been the development world's favorite solution for decades. The pitch is always the same: instead of building resorts that benefit investors, create tourism that directly empowers local communities. Let villagers be the guides. Have artisans sell their crafts to visitors. Keep the money in rural areas where it's needed most.
The concept sounds perfect. The execution rarely works.
Visit any community tourism project and you'll find the same pattern. A well-meaning NGO, government agency, or young startup sets up village homestays and cultural experiences. Initial enthusiasm from both communities and visitors. Media coverage about authentic travel and rural empowerment. Then, slowly, the problems emerge.
The village guides lack professional training and struggle with language barriers. The homestays can't maintain consistent service standards. Tourists complain about poor organization and unreliable logistics. Bookings decline. The project survives on donor funding for a few years before quietly shutting down or becoming a token program that processes a handful of visitors annually.
The fundamental issue isn't a lack of goodwill. It's operational complexity. Community tourism requires connecting rural producers to urban markets, maintaining quality standards across dispersed locations, managing logistics in areas with poor infrastructure, and balancing authentic experiences with commercial viability. Most organizations attempting this have either community relationships or business capabilities, but not both.
The few projects that achieve modest success remain small and local. None has scaled beyond regional impact. After decades of attempts, community tourism exists mostly as pilot programs and donor-funded experiments.
In November 2024, BRAC entered this graveyard of good intentions with Otithi. The name means "guest" in Bengali, carrying cultural weight—in Bengali households, a guest brings blessings to the home. The symbolism is intentional: tourism should benefit everyone involved.
Three months in, something unusual is happening. Customer reviews aren't just positive—they reveal a specific pattern. Travelers want longer stays in villages, not shorter ones. They request looser schedules to spend more time with host families. They complain that experiences feel "too structured" and want "more time at the village." One reviewer noted the "schedule is too tight; needs a bit to be loosened and include some free time."
These complaints would sink most tourism ventures. For community tourism, their validation. When visitors want more community interaction rather than less, when they prioritize local relationships over polished efficiency, the model might actually be working.
But understanding why requires examining what BRAC brings to challenges that have defeated organizations for decades.
BRAC is the world's largest NGO, serving 100 million people across Asia and Africa. But calling it an NGO understates its reach. BRAC operates like its own economy.
The organization owns BRAC Bank, one of Bangladesh's largest financial institutions. BRAC Bank owns the majority stake in bKash, Bangladesh's dominant mobile payments platform. BRAC’s social enterprise, Aarong, is one of the biggest craft and fashion retail brands. It runs microfinance, education, healthcare, and agriculture programs across virtually every sector.
What matters more than its size is its execution record. The organization is a master of execution. Over 50 years, BRAC has built and scaled programs that actually work. It has reached the poorest villages with microfinance, education, and healthcare. It has created profitable businesses while maintaining a social mission. It has replicated successful models across different countries.
This execution muscle matters for community tourism. Making it work requires connecting rural communities to urban markets, training local guides, managing logistics across remote areas, and maintaining quality while scaling. These are exactly the operational challenges BRAC has solved in other sectors.
Most importantly, 80% of BRAC’s Bangladesh revenue comes from its social enterprises, which means the organization can deploy patient capital to initiatives like Otithi that typical tourism companies lack.
Executive Director Asif Saleh is upfront about the timeline: "We began this project as a social enterprise. We may incur loss initially for many years, but ultimately, if the sector develops, it will attract many people."
This isn't venture capital seeking quick returns. This is an organization with proven ability to build sustainable operations at scale.
Bangladesh tourism has structural issues that Otithi aims to fix. The country has natural beauty, archaeological sites, and rich cultural diversity. But tourism revenue doesn't reach local communities.
Traditional models extract value from local culture without giving much back. Tourists visit villages, take photos, and leave. Economic benefit goes to tour operators and city hotels. Communities provide the experience but capture little value.
This creates perverse incentives. Local culture becomes a performance for outsiders rather than a living tradition. Communities see tourism as disruptive rather than beneficial. The model isn't sustainable for anyone.
BRAC saw this as a systems problem requiring a systems solution.
BRAC spent two years developing Otithi before launch. The team traveled across Bangladesh, talking to travelers, tour operators, and local experts. They explored known destinations and hidden places.
This wasn't market research. It was relationship building. The team identified locations where community-based tourism could work. They found local partners who could serve as guides, hosts, and activity leaders. They mapped experiences that would feel authentic while creating real income.
The development process reveals BRAC's long-term thinking. Most startups rush to market. BRAC built relationships first.
BRAC’s vast network across Bangladesh means it could make these connections happen more readily.
Otithi operates as a social enterprise within BRAC's portfolio. Revenue comes from tour packages. Profits get reinvested into BRAC's development programs.
The pricing is transparent but detailed. A two-day Rajshahi tour costs 9,900 taka per person for groups of 8-10 people. The Madhupur homestay runs 5,500 taka for 6-8 people. Prices include accommodation, meals, local guides, transportation, and activities.
Child pricing makes family travel accessible. Ages 5 and under travel free. Ages 6-10 pay 40%. Ages 11-14 pay 60%. The pricing indicates an intentional positioning to attract a certain customer segment who are willing pay relatively premium charge for meaningful experiences.
Group sizes stay small. Maximum 15 people per tour, with some experiences limited to 6-8 people. This isn't cost-cutting. Small groups enable authentic cultural exchange. Large groups turn experiences into performances.
The payment system reflects a digital-first approach. Bank transfers only. No cash. Travelers must provide ID copies. Full payment due seven days before travel.
The cancellation policy is strategic. No cash refunds. Cancelled amounts go into an "Otithi Credit Wallet" valid for 12 months. This keeps money within the system that benefits communities even when plans change.
Now, claiming something as community tourism is easy, but not that straightforward in execution. What makes Otithi, as the company claims, different is how it integrates communities into every experience. In Rajshahi, rural youth and university students work as part-time guides. In Santal villages, community members share cultural traditions. In Premtoli village, potters run hands-on workshops.
The company says the economic impact is measurable. After tourists started visiting Premtoli, pottery sales increased. The community gained a new income stream tied to preserving their traditional craft.
This creates positive feedback loops. Communities benefit economically from maintaining cultural practices. Tourism revenue incentivizes cultural preservation rather than commercialization.
Otithi runs with 7-8 core staff handling research, marketing, finance, and partnerships. The team is intentionally small.
The real workforce consists of local community members who provide accommodation, guide services, activities, and meals. Many tours use BRAC Learning Centers for accommodation, leveraging existing infrastructure.
Booking requires advance planning. Customers request spots online. Detailed itineraries arrive within 48 hours. The process emphasizes preparation over spontaneity.
This structure allows scaling without massive overhead. New destinations require training local partners, not hiring employees.
Otithi signed key partnerships within months of launch. ShareTrip provides digital distribution and booking infrastructure. The Bangladesh Tourism Board offers government alignment and policy support.
ShareTrip gives Otithi access to domestic and international travelers through an established platform. The Tourism Board partnership aligns with Bangladesh's national tourism master plan, which targets $5 billion in revenue by 2040 with emphasis on community-based models.
These partnerships provide distribution and legitimacy without requiring internal development of booking systems or government relations.
Otithi currently offers tours to Rajshahi, Madhupur, and Sreemangal. Customer feedback from the first months shows consistent patterns.
Reviews are overwhelmingly positive with five-star ratings. The specific comments reveal what's working. "The guides were exceptionally good," writes one traveler. Another notes guides were "very kind, friendly, helpful."
The constructive criticism validates the core concept. "Schedule is too tight; needs a bit to be loosened," suggests one customer. Another wanted to "spend more time at the village." A third recommended "accommodation closer to the destination."
These complaints aren't questioning the community focus. They want more of it. This suggests strong product-market fit for the core value proposition.
Revenue numbers aren't public yet. As a new social enterprise expecting initial losses, customer satisfaction and community impact may matter more than financial metrics in the early stages.
Saleh is clear about growth plans. The initiative "will not be confined within Rajshahi". BRAC plans expansion to "Sundarbans, Chottogram Hill Tracts, Cox's Bazar" with focus on indigenous communities.
Each target region offers distinct experiences. Sundarbans provide mangrove forests and wildlife. Chittagong Hill Tracts feature diverse indigenous cultures and mountains. Cox's Bazar extends beyond beaches to include host communities.
This expansion plan aligns with national priorities. Bangladesh's tourism master plan emphasizes community-based tourism, targeting $5 billion by 2040. The Tourism Board CEO expressed delight to "work with BRAC to develop this further."
Policy alignment means Otithi benefits from a supportive government rather than fighting regulatory headwinds.
Most community tourism initiatives fail because they can't balance authentic experiences with commercial viability. They're either too commercial and lose authenticity, or too authentic and can't scale profitably.
Otithi addresses this through design choices. Small group sizes maintain intimacy. Local integration ensures authenticity. BRAC's backing provides patient capital for market development. Strategic partnerships handle distribution and government relations.
The social enterprise structure matters too. Profit maximization isn't the primary goal. This allows longer-term thinking about community relationships and sustainable practices.
Furthermore, Otithi's mission extends beyond rural economics. The initiative aims to "reconnect urban youths with their roots, introduce them to hidden cultural gems, and celebrate Bangladesh's diverse heritage."
This dual focus addresses urbanization challenges. As young people migrate to cities, they often lose connection to traditional culture. Otithi creates experiences that help urban youth understand their heritage while supporting rural communities.
The model also emphasizes environmental responsibility and cultural preservation. By making traditional practices economically valuable, tourism incentivizes communities to maintain customs that might otherwise disappear.
Community tourism faces inherent tensions. Increased visitors can overwhelm communities. Success can lead to commercialization that destroys authenticity. Economic benefits can create tourism dependency.
Otithi's model addresses some risks through constraints. Small group limits prevent overwhelming communities. Local ownership maintains authenticity. Integration with BRAC's broader development programs reduces tourism dependency.
But scaling will test these safeguards. Can Otithi maintain quality and community benefit as it grows? Will success attract competitors who copy the model without the social mission?
For a social enterprise, success metrics go beyond profit margins. Otithi will succeed if local communities see sustained income increases. If cultural traditions gain new vitality through tourist engagement. If Bangladesh develops a reputation for authentic, responsible tourism.
Financial sustainability matters too. BRAC expects Otithi to eventually generate profits for reinvestment into development programs. The "triple bottom line" philosophy demands positive outcomes for people, planet, and profit.
Early indicators suggest this balance is achievable. However, we will have to wait to see how Otithi maintains this balance as it scales.
Otithi represents a test case for whether developing countries can capture tourism value while preserving cultural authenticity. If successful, the model could inspire similar initiatives across South Asia.
But the broader opportunity might be even larger than solving community tourism's scaling problem. Otithi is launching into a travel boom that Bangladesh has never experienced before.
Domestic tourism is exploding across the country. Bangladesh's growing middle class has disposable income and changing lifestyle priorities. Young professionals living in urban centers are seeking weekend escapes and cultural experiences. Social media has made travel aspirational in ways that didn't exist a decade ago.
Travel is having a cultural moment in Bangladesh. Instagram feeds showcase local destinations. Travel vlogs gain millions of views. Weekend trips have become status symbols among urban dwellers. The same demographic trends driving tourism growth globally—rising incomes, urbanization, digital connectivity—are accelerating in Bangladesh.
This timing couldn't be better for Otithi. Traditional tourism infrastructure remains limited, creating space for alternative models. The domestic market is large enough to support sustainable operations. Most importantly, the travelers driving this boom are exactly the audience seeking authentic, meaningful experiences rather than mass tourism packages.
The Bangladesh Tourism Board's $5 billion revenue target by 2040 reflects recognition of this opportunity. But capturing that value requires tourism models that work at scale while preserving what makes destinations worth visiting. Mass tourism destroys the authenticity that conscious travelers seek. Community tourism has struggled with operational challenges.
Otithi might thread this needle by combining BRAC's execution capabilities with market timing that favors the model. The domestic travel boom provides customer volume. The cultural moment around authentic experiences aligns with their value proposition. Their infrastructure and partnerships position them to capture market share during rapid growth.
The real test isn't profitability—it's replicability. Can it scale without losing core values?
Otithi's first year will provide initial answers. But the real evaluation requires longer time horizons. Social enterprises succeed or fail based on sustained impact, not quarterly results.
For now, BRAC has built something that addresses real problems with thoughtful solutions during a travel boom that creates unprecedented opportunity. Whether it can execute at the scale this opportunity demands will determine if community tourism can live up to its decades-old promise.
