Fresh-water showers, changing rooms, lockers, cafes, tourist guides and rescue teams are being planned for Cox’s Bazar beach to improve facilities and safety for tourists, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat has said.
The minister also said an initiative is underway to install solar-powered lighting across the beach to improve visibility after sunset.
He disclosed the plans while speaking as the chief guest at the opening of the three-day 13th Asian Tourism Fair in Dhaka on Thursday.
Millat said large numbers of tourists visit Cox’s Bazar from different parts of the country, with several hundred thousand people gathering at the beach particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.
“However, there are not enough facilities for tourists to freshen up or change clothes after bathing in the sea,” he said.
He said an integrated facility should be developed at Cox’s Bazar beach where tourists could use fresh-water showers after swimming, along with changing rooms and lockers for their personal belongings.
He also said there are plans to establish cafes or coffee shops for tourists.
Rescue teams, doctors and nurses planned
The minister said the proposed facilities would also prioritise tourist safety.
Tourist police, tourist guides and rescue teams would be included in the planned integrated system, he said.
Doctors and nurses would also be available to ensure quick medical assistance when rescue operations require immediate treatment, he added.
“All these services are planned to be brought under an integrated system,” Millat said.
Solar lighting planned across beach
Highlighting the darkness in many parts of Cox’s Bazar beach after sunset, the minister said efforts were underway to install solar-powered lights across the beach.
The initiative is expected to create a safer environment for tourists to move around and spend time at the beach after sunset.
Cox’s Bazar needs an environment where tourists can not only enjoy the sea and swim but also easily access facilities for freshening up, changing clothes and other essential services, he said.
“Improving tourism facilities can help attract more tourists to Cox’s Bazar,” Millat said.
Plan to develop Cox’s Bazar as regional tourism hub
The minister also spoke of plans to develop Cox’s Bazar as a regional tourism hub.
He said the government planned to develop the area around its long sea beach as an important destination for international and regional tourism.
Attracting foreign tourists is also one of the objectives of the new Cox’s Bazar international airport, he said.
Emphasising the need to increase foreign tourist arrivals in Bangladesh, Millat said Bangladeshi tourists travel to destinations such as the Maldives and Nepal, and similar opportunities should be created for tourists from other countries to visit Bangladesh.
He said the government should make necessary arrangements with the concerned countries and ensure all required facilities for foreign tourists.
The minister also said Biman Bangladesh Airlines was offering various facilities for tourists, including discounts on air tickets.
By Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
