Cox’s Bazar came alive on the final day of a three-day tourism fair as crowds of tourists and local residents gathered at Laboni Point, leaving behind renewed expectations for larger and more diverse tourism events in the country’s premier coastal destination.
Held for the first time in two years, the fair featured 50 stalls representing tourism-related organisations, women entrepreneurs and local businesses. Attendance began increasing from the morning of the final day, turning the fairgrounds into a festive gathering of tourists and residents.
However, many visitors said this year’s event was relatively limited compared with previous editions. They noted that earlier seven-day fairs featured performances by well-known artists and bands from across the country each day, while this year’s cultural programme largely featured local performers.
They said the scale of the fair should be expanded in line with Cox’s Bazar’s aspirations as an international tourism destination.
Imtiaz and Shahana, residents of Taraboniarchhara in Cox’s Bazar town, said Cox’s Bazar is not merely a local tourist destination but one of Bangladesh’s major tourism cities.
They said tourism fairs in the city should reflect that status and be promoted on a scale that allows people across the country to learn about the event.
College student Sumaiya said three days was too short for such a fair.
She said extending the fair to at least seven days would give more people an opportunity to participate and added that Cox’s Bazar needs more entertainment and organised activities for visitors.
By contrast, tourist Bilkis Begum, who travelled to Cox’s Bazar from Mirpur in Dhaka, said she had a positive experience.
“Visiting such a fair while travelling in Cox’s Bazar added to the enjoyment,” she said. “I visited the fair over the past two days, explored different stalls and bought products from women entrepreneurs. Overall, I liked the event.”
Local entrepreneurs also expressed optimism about the fair.
They said regular, larger-scale fairs during the tourism season could create opportunities for small and women entrepreneurs, as well as tourism-related businesses, to expand their markets.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A. Mannan said necessary measures were being taken to ensure that domestic and international tourists could visit Cox’s Bazar without difficulty.
He said the international airport would be inaugurated soon, which he expected would bring major changes to the tourism landscape of Cox’s Bazar.
Officials of the Cox’s Bazar district administration said initiatives were being taken to expand tourism-related events alongside infrastructure development to make the tourism-dependent economy more dynamic.
They said greater emphasis was also being placed on promotion, connectivity, security and improving the quality of tourism services to attract international visitors.
The tourism fair was inaugurated on Friday, September 25, at the open stage of Laboni Point to mark World Tourism Day.
With the conclusion of this year’s fair, a new expectation has emerged: that tourism fairs in an international destination like Cox’s Bazar should go beyond ceremonial events and expand in scale, promotion and cultural diversity.
Stakeholders believe such initiatives could increase tourist interest while creating new economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs and businesses connected to the tourism industry.
