Tourists photograph the hills from the roof of a traditional bamboo house in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, while an Indigenous family sits inside and watches as tourism development expands across the valley. Illustration: The Times of Jumland.
 
The mountains of the Chittagong Hill Tracts have long attracted travelers seeking beauty, adventure, and cultural discovery. Rivers flow through green valleys, traditional bamboo houses stand on the hillsides, and Indigenous communities maintain ways of life that have existed for generations. Over the last decade, tourism in the region has grown rapidly. New resorts, hotels, and tourism projects promise development and economic opportunity. Yet behind this picture of progress lies a quieter reality—one that many visitors never see.
Tourism in the hills is expanding quickly, but many Indigenous communities feel that the benefits of this growth are passing them by.
 
In many places, tourism begins with curiosity. Visitors arrive with cameras and backpacks, fascinated by the landscapes and the unique culture of the hills. Photographs of traditional houses, local dress, and village life appear in travel blogs and social media. The hills become a symbol of natural beauty and cultural heritage.
But even at this early stage, a subtle imbalance exists. Tourists observe Indigenous life as something to be photographed and admired, while the people themselves remain largely outside the tourism economy. The culture of the hills becomes a visual attraction, but control over tourism rarely lies with the communities whose traditions are being showcased.
 
As tourism grows, government agencies and private investors begin to see the hills as an opportunity for development. New tourism zones are announced. Promotional campaigns highlight the potential of the region. Resorts, hotels, and commercial buildings begin appearing near lakes, rivers, and mountain viewpoints.
 
Tourists standing on the Indigenous bamboo house roof taking photos)
(Tourism development projects promise growth, but they also transform the landscape of the hills. Illustration-2)
 
These projects are often described as part of national development. Tourism, officials say, will bring jobs, infrastructure, and economic growth. Roads are improved, boat services expand, and more visitors begin arriving each year.
 
Yet the question that many local residents quietly ask is simple: whose land is being developed?
 
For Indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, land has never been just property. It is connected to identity, livelihood, and history. Many families have lived on the same hills for generations, farming, collecting forest products, and maintaining village life.
 
But tourism development sometimes transforms these landscapes into investment zones.
 
Signs appear announcing “tourism development projects.” Land that once belonged to villages becomes the site of future resorts. Investors from outside the region see the hills as a promising market for hotels, restaurants, and recreational facilities.
 
Tourism Development Project – Investment Opportunity tag)
(Tourism development in the hills increasingly attracts outside investors as the sold project in the market. Illustration-3)
 
The language surrounding the land begins to change. Instead of villages, maps show tourism areas. Instead of community land, investors speak of development opportunities.
 
To many Indigenous residents, it can feel as if the hills themselves are gradually being placed on sale.
 
Hill-for-sale-4
(For many Indigenous communities, tourism expansion raises concerns about the future of their ancestral land. Illustration-4)
 
In some areas, land is purchased legally but cheaply, often from families who have little access to legal support or information about long-term consequences. In other cases, land disputes remain unresolved for years, creating uncertainty about ownership.
 
Over time, the physical landscape changes. Traditional bamboo houses disappear from prime locations near lakes or tourist routes. In their place rise concrete hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants designed for visitors.
 
The mountains and rivers remain as beautiful as before, but the villages that once stood beside them may no longer exist in the same way.
 
(The hills remain. The people disappear.)
(Tourism development transforms the landscape while traditional villages gradually fade away. Illustration-5)
 
As resorts expand, some areas that were once part of community life become restricted zones. Land that villagers once used for farming, fishing, or gathering resources is now controlled by private tourism businesses.
 
Gates appear at the entrances to resort areas. Security guards stand watch. Visitors who can afford hotel rooms pass through easily, while local residents sometimes find themselves excluded from spaces that once belonged to their communities.
 
Hill-tourism-6
(Some resort zones restrict local access to land that was once part of everyday community life. Illustration-6)
 
Tourism also generates significant revenue. Hotels collect room fees, tour operators organize boat trips and sightseeing packages, and restaurants serve visitors from across the country and abroad.
 
But much of this money does not remain in the hills.
 
(Tourism income flows but not to the hills)
(Tourism income grows, but much of the profit flows outside the region. Illustration-7)
 
Many of the larger tourism businesses are owned by investors from outside the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Profits often flow to companies or individuals who live far from the communities where the tourism activity takes place.
 
For Indigenous residents, the role in the tourism industry is often limited to low-wage work. Some find employment as boat drivers, cleaners, guides, or construction workers during resort development. While these jobs can provide income, they rarely offer long-term security or ownership.
 
The contrast becomes clear: the hills generate tourism income, but the people who have lived there for generations often receive only a small portion of the benefits.
 
The transformation can also be seen in everyday life. Bulldozers reshape hillsides to prepare land for new buildings.
 
(Bulldozer clearing land while Indigenous family watches)
(Tourism infrastructure expands while many Indigenous communities remain observers rather than decision-makers. Illustration-8)
 
New roads lead tourists to scenic viewpoints. Boats carry visitors across lakes toward resorts that advertise comfort and luxury.
 
Meanwhile, nearby villages continue their traditional way of life, sometimes watching these changes from the edge of developments that have taken place on their former land.
 
For many Indigenous communities, the issue is not tourism itself. Tourism can bring opportunity if it is developed in ways that respect local rights and include local participation.
 
Community-based tourism, locally owned guesthouses, and Indigenous-led cultural tours have shown in many parts of the world that tourism can benefit local people while protecting culture and the environment.
 
But when tourism is planned without meaningful involvement from Indigenous communities, it risks turning their homeland into a destination where others profit from landscapes and cultures that they themselves no longer control.
 
The story of tourism in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is therefore not only about economic development. It is also about land, ownership, and participation.
 
Visitors come to the hills to experience natural beauty and unique cultural traditions.
 
Indigenous-people-9
(The hills attract visitors from everywhere, yet many Indigenous communities remain on the margins of the tourism economy. Illustration-9)
 
The future of tourism in the region will depend on whether the people who have protected these hills for generations are allowed to share fairly in the prosperity created by their homeland.
 
If tourism is to succeed in the long term, it must do more than bring visitors to the hills. It must ensure that the people of the hills are not left standing outside the gates of the very landscapes that have defined their lives.

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