Cox’s Bazar: A multidimensional tourism potential driven by blue resources

When we think of tourism in Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar named after Captain Hiram Cox naturally comes to mind. Historically, the area was known as Palanki, or the "land of yellow flowers." According to historical accounts, the name Cox's Bazar came into use in 1799.
Cox's Bazar is not known only for its magnificent, approximately 120-kilometre-long sandy coastline. Its mountains, sea, rivers, islands, mangrove forests, salt fields, fisheries and rich marine biodiversity make it one of the most promising destinations for multidimensional tourism in South and Southeast Asia. Yet, unfortunately, a significant part of this enormous potential remains largely untapped.
 

Cox's Bazar and the Blue Economy
Salt and fisheries are among the foundations of the local economy of Cox's Bazar. The district plays an important role in meeting Bangladesh's demand for edible salt, while a significant share of the country's marine fish is harvested from its coastal waters.
The region also possesses valuable mineral resources, including ilmenite, zircon, monazite and leucoxene, particularly in coastal areas. St. Martin's Island, the Maheshkhali,Kutubdia coastal zone and other marine ecosystems further enhance the region's natural and economic value.
The settlement of Bangladesh's maritime boundary disputes opened a new window of opportunity for the country's Blue Economy. Bangladesh first enacted the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act in 1974. Subsequently, through international legal processes, its maritime boundary disputes with Myanmar were resolved in 2012 and with India in 2014. These landmark developments clearly established Bangladesh's maritime rights and created opportunities to explore and utilise its vast marine resources.
Bangladesh now has an opportunity to build a strong foundation for a sustainable Blue Economy. One of the most promising areas within this broader framework is Blue Tourism.
 

Emerging opportunities for blue tourism
With its extensive coastline and diverse maritime resources, Bangladesh has the potential to develop a vibrant and sustainable Blue Tourism industry. Properly connecting marine resources with tourism could transform the tourism landscape of Cox's Bazar and other coastal areas.
Such an approach could generate new entrepreneurs, create employment, increase local value addition and significantly enhance the contribution of tourism to the national economy.
Cox's Bazar's long sandy coastline and extensive coastal landscape provide a strong foundation for Coastal Tourism. This could be integrated with rural tourism, fisheries, religious and cultural tourism, salt-based tourism, indigenous and coastal community experiences, and marine biodiversity-based tourism.
A well-planned and modern "Super Marine Drive" connecting the coastal areas of Chattogram through Cox's Bazar to Teknaf could become a unique tourism corridor for both domestic and international visitors.
Experiential and Marine Tourism,The tourism of the future will not be limited to simply visiting beaches and taking photographs. Deep-sea fishing, boat excursions, marine wildlife observation, birds and dolphin watching, experiencing the lives and livelihoods of local fishing communities, exploring indigenous cultures and visiting religious sites could all become new experiential tourism products.
The marine biodiversity of the "Swatch of No Ground"could also offer opportunities for research, education and specialised marine tourism.
Similarly, safe surfing, sea kayaking, water skiing, swimming, beach sports, hiking and other adventure activities could be introduced in a planned and sustainable manner.
St. Martin's Island has potential for activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling and marine biodiversity observation. However, such activities must be strictly guided by the island's ecological carrying capacity, coral ecosystems, biodiversity and conservation requirements. Tourism development should never come at the expense of the very natural resources that attract visitors.

Coastal tourism and economic potential

Globally, coastal tourism has become an important component of the tourism economy. It contributes to GDP, creates large-scale employment and serves as a significant source of foreign exchange for many countries.
According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data from 2019, tourism contributed approximately 3.02 percent to Bangladesh's GDP, with an estimated economic value of more than BDT 766.9 billion. With proper planning and greater emphasis on coastal tourism, the economic contribution of the tourism sector could increase substantially.
Island-Based Tourism,The Cox's Bazar coastline is home to several scenic islands and island ecosystems, including Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Sonadia, Shah Porir Dwip, Jaliar Dwip, Chera Dwip and St. Martin's Island.
Environmentally responsible and carefully planned tourism infrastructure in these areas could create new attractions for domestic and international tourists while generating employment, entrepreneurship and alternative livelihood opportunities for local communities.
However, island-based tourism must place the environment, biodiversity and rights of local communities at the centre of development planning. A clear and sustainable tourism model is essential.
World-class boat excursions through the Maheshkhali,Kutubdia channel, combined with island tourism and marine tourism services linked to hotels and resorts, could add a new dimension to the tourism experience.

Salt, fisheries and community-based tourism

Cox's Bazar's salt and fisheries industries offer particularly interesting opportunities for experience-based tourism.
Tourism packages could allow visitors to experience the salt-production process, observe the daily lives of fishing communities, learn about traditional fishing practices, visit local markets and experience the distinctive lifestyle and culture of coastal communities.
The estuary of the Bakkhali River, Maheshkhali, Badarjlkhali and the mangrove forests or Paarabon of Sonadia also possess significant potential as nature-based tourism destinations.
By integrating rivers, forests, beaches, marine ecosystems and local livelihoods, Cox's Bazar could develop a comprehensive Eco-Tourism Network.
Cruise Tourism, An Opportunity We Should Not Miss Every year, international cruise ships travel across the Bay of Bengal between India and destinations such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Yet Bangladesh has so far been unable to adequately benefit from this growing opportunity due to limitations in infrastructure, policy preparedness and tourism facilities.
This is an opportunity that Bangladesh should not miss again.
To attract international cruise tourists, Cox's Bazar and Chattogram could be developed with modern cruise-related infrastructure, international-standard reception facilities, efficient immigration and customs services, and tourism-friendly policies. Such facilities could also serve as an important catalyst for inbound tourism.
Where appropriate and feasible, simplified entry procedures including consideration of onboard immigration arrangements could be explored. Cox's Bazar International Airport could also play an important role in facilitating international and regional tourist connectivity.
With the right planning and investment, cruise tourism could become a significant source of foreign exchange for Bangladesh.
Tourism Is More Than Hotels, Restaurants and Beaches,It may sound uncomfortable, but the reality is that while the global tourism industry is rapidly embracing innovative concepts and technology-driven services, we remain largely focused on conventional hotels, restaurants and beach-based tourism.
Modern tourism increasingly includes bleisure travel, combining business and leisure, automation and technology-enabled services, mobile booking,personalised travel,sustainable tourism,transformative travel, experiential tourism,solo travel, wellness tourism, and many other emerging business models.
New concepts and innovative business models are continuously being introduced around the world.
Therefore, if Cox's Bazar is to become a future-ready tourism destination, increasing the number of tourists alone cannot be the objective. Equal importance must be given to the quality of visitor experience, safety, service standards, technology, environmental sustainability and the integration of tourism with the local economy.

Research, investment and integrated planning

The time has come to move beyond simply discussing potential. What Cox's Bazar needs now is a clear roadmap and effective implementation.
A strong research-based institution or Tourism Research and Planning Centre could be established to support evidence-based tourism development in Cox's Bazar.
Formal and informal tourism entrepreneurs should be brought into a coordinated institutional framework. At the same time, the district needs short-, medium and long-term action plans, skilled human resources, an investment-friendly environment, investment security, technological knowledge, research capacity, environmental protection and effective coordination among relevant stakeholders.
Local communities should receive market-oriented training so that they can develop the skills required by the tourism industry. Special attention should also be given to developing small and medium-sized tourism entrepreneurs.
The objective of the Blue Economy should not be limited to economic growth. Improving the quality of life of coastal communities, reducing poverty and integrating local people into the mainstream of economic development should be among its central goals.
Creating a Safe, Clean and Tourist-Friendly Environment,The first and most important priority should be creating public awareness and a genuinely tourist-friendly environment.
To realise the tourism potential of Cox's Bazar, infrastructure alone is not enough. The destination must be safe, clean, orderly and welcoming.
Tourist safety, harassment-free services, cleanliness, traffic management, waste management, control of excessive pricing and overcharging, environmental protection and access to emergency services are essential. Without these basic conditions, no modern tourism strategy can achieve sustainable success.
 

An integrated approach is the key
Realising Bangladesh's Blue Economy potential requires integrated policies, skilled human resources, technological knowledge and sustainable utilisation of marine resources.
At the same time, protecting coastal and marine ecosystems, controlling pollution, conserving biodiversity and ensuring meaningful participation of local communities must remain central to all development initiatives.
The success of Blue Tourism will require strong public-private partnerships as well as the active participation of local government, the business community, tourism entrepreneurs, environmental experts, researchers and local communities.
Regional and international cooperation should also be strengthened in the areas of marine tourism, cruise tourism, research, investment and knowledge exchange.
Cox's Bazar: Beyond the Beach,The future of Cox's Bazar should not be confined to being a beach-centred tourist destination.
Its true potential lies in developing a multidimensional tourism economy built around the sea, islands, mountains, rivers, mangrove forests, salt, fisheries, marine biodiversity and local culture.
If Cox's Bazar can be developed into an integrated "Blue Tourism Destination" through the sustainable use of its blue resources, it could transform not only Bangladesh's tourism industry but also create new entrepreneurs, generate employment, increase opportunities for foreign exchange earnings and provide sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities.
But achieving this vision requires more than ambition. It requires research, strategic planning, investment, skills development, environmental protection, a safe and tourist-friendly environment, and above all the capacity to implement well-designed plans.
With sound planning, visionary leadership and meaningful participation of local communities, Cox's Bazar can emerge as one of the principal gateways to Bangladesh's Blue Economy and a leading destination for multidimensional, sustainable tourism.