BSS, Dhaka :
Bangladesh is set to host a two-day international tourism conference to bring together the top minds in destination travel to explore, inter alia, the hidden potentiality of Cox’s Bazar.
The conference dubbed “Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2016 (NTFF16)” begins today at the world longest unbroken sea beach Cox’s Bazar.
Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is organizing the event with the theme “Designing a sustainable tourism brand – an integrative approach to building a responsible coastal destination” at Royal Tulip Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa.
Talking about the conference, Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said, “The event is significantly important for us as it would send a message to the world community that Bangladesh is a safe country for tourism and it has enough skill and efficiency of hospitality.”
Reiterating the government’s firm commitment to turn Bangladesh into a ‘tourist destination’, he said: “We would formulate a master plan compiling the recommendations and suggestions of experts, academics, policy makers and stakeholders attending at the conference.”
PATA Board of Directors in April 2015 selected Cox’s Bazar as the venue for the event following the bid from Bangladesh.
BTB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir said nearly 200 guests, especially policy makers, tourism experts, academics, representatives from international organizations, students and stakeholders from home and 16 countries would take part in the conference.
On the first day of the conference, he said, the participants through technical tour and tourism marketing treasure haunt would try to explore potentialities of discovered and undiscovered attraction of Cox’s Bazar while on the second day, they would share their experiences accumulated from the first day.
“They (participants) would also formulate a strategy to brand Cox’s Bazar as a sustainable and responsible coastal tourism destination,” added the BTB CEO.
Upon the success of the conference, Kabir said, Bangladesh would try to organize “PATA Travel Mart”, the biggest event of PATA.
BTB officials said under the theme of the conference, the NTFF 2016 will tackle the topics of fair trade, living heritage communities, coastal and marine tourism, heritage trails and domestic/regional tourism markets, including a session on brand building and marketing for emerging destinations.
PATA NTFF16 in its brochure said Bangladesh is a fascinating mix of enchanting history, vibrant cultures, sandy beaches, abundant wildlife and rich flora and fauna.
“Cox’s Bazar combines the world’s longest unbroken beach with the unique lifestyle of ethnic minority groups in the neighbouring hills. Located south of the industrial port of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar is popular among locals but remains largely untapped by international travelers,” it says.
Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from within the Asia Pacific region.
Industry insiders said the tourism industry received a blow after the Gulshan terrorist attack on July 1 at Holey Artisan Bakery where 22 people, mostly foreigners, were brutally killed by the extremists.
The upcoming event will definitely give a positive message to the foreigners that Bangladesh is now a safe tourist destination, they added.
Bangladesh is set to host a two-day international tourism conference to bring together the top minds in destination travel to explore, inter alia, the hidden potentiality of Cox’s Bazar.
The conference dubbed “Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) New Tourism Frontiers Forum 2016 (NTFF16)” begins today at the world longest unbroken sea beach Cox’s Bazar.
Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is organizing the event with the theme “Designing a sustainable tourism brand – an integrative approach to building a responsible coastal destination” at Royal Tulip Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa.
Talking about the conference, Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said, “The event is significantly important for us as it would send a message to the world community that Bangladesh is a safe country for tourism and it has enough skill and efficiency of hospitality.”
Reiterating the government’s firm commitment to turn Bangladesh into a ‘tourist destination’, he said: “We would formulate a master plan compiling the recommendations and suggestions of experts, academics, policy makers and stakeholders attending at the conference.”
PATA Board of Directors in April 2015 selected Cox’s Bazar as the venue for the event following the bid from Bangladesh.
BTB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir said nearly 200 guests, especially policy makers, tourism experts, academics, representatives from international organizations, students and stakeholders from home and 16 countries would take part in the conference.
On the first day of the conference, he said, the participants through technical tour and tourism marketing treasure haunt would try to explore potentialities of discovered and undiscovered attraction of Cox’s Bazar while on the second day, they would share their experiences accumulated from the first day.
“They (participants) would also formulate a strategy to brand Cox’s Bazar as a sustainable and responsible coastal tourism destination,” added the BTB CEO.
Upon the success of the conference, Kabir said, Bangladesh would try to organize “PATA Travel Mart”, the biggest event of PATA.
BTB officials said under the theme of the conference, the NTFF 2016 will tackle the topics of fair trade, living heritage communities, coastal and marine tourism, heritage trails and domestic/regional tourism markets, including a session on brand building and marketing for emerging destinations.
PATA NTFF16 in its brochure said Bangladesh is a fascinating mix of enchanting history, vibrant cultures, sandy beaches, abundant wildlife and rich flora and fauna.
“Cox’s Bazar combines the world’s longest unbroken beach with the unique lifestyle of ethnic minority groups in the neighbouring hills. Located south of the industrial port of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar is popular among locals but remains largely untapped by international travelers,” it says.
Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to and from within the Asia Pacific region.
Industry insiders said the tourism industry received a blow after the Gulshan terrorist attack on July 1 at Holey Artisan Bakery where 22 people, mostly foreigners, were brutally killed by the extremists.
The upcoming event will definitely give a positive message to the foreigners that Bangladesh is now a safe tourist destination, they added.
