A three-month tourism carnival featuring at least 16 special zones will begin in Cox’s Bazar on November 1, offering a range of entertainment and recreational activities to attract domestic and international tourists.
The ‘Cox’s Bazar Tourism Carnival’ will run until January 31, 2027, across about 35 acres of beach and adjoining jhau forest. Organisers expect the event to add a new dimension to the district’s tourism and encourage visitors to stay longer.
The Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation is organising the carnival on the beach near Hotel Shaibal in Cox’s Bazar town. The corporation and private company Spellbound Communications will jointly manage the event, with plans to keep the venue open 24 hours a day. The initiative’s memorandum of understanding has already been signed in Dhaka.
Tourist couple Sohana and Arif, visiting Cox’s Bazar beach, welcomed the initiative, saying it would offer visitors new entertainment options during their stay.
Another tourist, Raihan, said the initiative was excellent, adding that it would be more attractive if it included activities that could draw foreign visitors.
The 16 planned special zones will feature traditional food, local handicrafts, children’s rides, an international-standard virtual reality (VR) zone, open-air film screenings, and a circus tent.
Visitors can also take part in sunrise yoga and meditation, as well as camping. Adventure activities will include kayaking, bungee jumping, go-karting, beach football, volleyball and kabaddi.
Other attractions will include sand sculpture displays, an open-air library, hammocks, campfires and stargazing through telescopes. Visitors can enjoy cultural performances alongside sunset views.
Special programmes will also be arranged to mark Victory Day, Christmas and the English New Year.
Raihan Uddin Ahmed, manager of Hotel Shaibal and Motel Laboni, said plans were underway to provide a variety of entertainment options for tourists. Organisers hope the attractions will appeal to families, children and young people, as well as visitors seeking distinctive experiences.
Abdul Shukkur, president of the Cox’s Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said nighttime entertainment and live music were among the attractions drawing tourists to popular destinations such as Phuket and Pattaya in Thailand, Langkawi in Malaysia, Goa in India and Bali in Indonesia.
Cox’s Bazar needs to expand its nighttime entertainment options to attract more foreign tourists, he said.
Mohammad Shamimuzzaman, chairman of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, said well over three million domestic tourists visited Cox’s Bazar annually, but the lack of suitable nighttime entertainment and diverse attractions meant that foreign tourists tended to stay for shorter periods.
The carnival is part of an initiative to rebrand Cox’s Bazar to resemble international tourism destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia and Bali, he said.
Organisers announced that they would implement a coordinated security arrangement involving their own security personnel, Ansar, tourist police, and local police.
Tourism sector stakeholders expect the three-month event to benefit hotels, motels, restaurants, transport operators and local businesses if it succeeds. They also believe it could diversify visitors’ experiences and create opportunities to establish Cox’s Bazar as an international tourism destination.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Collected
