Cox's Bazar to host 3-day World Tourism Day fest from tomorrow

The Cox's Bazar district administration will organise a three-day programme from tomorrow (25 September) to mark World Tourism Day, Additional District Magistrate Tasneem Jahan said today (24 September).

The programme will be held under the theme "Tourism of the future through digital transformation and artificial intelligence", she said.

The celebrations will begin with a beach clean-up in the morning, followed by folk music, a fire show and band performances from the afternoon to the evening, Tasneem said.

A musical night will be held on Saturday (26 September), while the main programme on Sunday (27 September) will include a rally, discussion, Rakhine dance and a closing cultural event.

According to the additional district magistrate, the events will be held at the open-air stage at tourist zone's Laboni Point, where visitors can enjoy the programmes from the afternoon until Isha prayers during the three-day celebration.

The district administration had decided to begin the celebrations two days before World Tourism Day as the preceding dates are public holidays and Cox's Bazar usually sees a large influx of tourists during the holidays.

The district last held a large-scale celebration in 2023, while there had been limited events over the past two years.

A colourful rally will also travel through roads in the tourist zone, featuring a motorcycle procession by tourist police, horses from the beach and beach bikes, along with displays highlighting Cox's Bazar's heritage.

Tourism-related organisations and tourists will participate in the rally carrying placards with slogans promoting the development and expansion of the tourism sector, said Mahmudur Rahman Sayem, executive magistrate of the district administration's tourism cell.

He urged everyone to participate in the programmes and help make the celebration successful.