"South Asia has a rich history... it has been a melting pot of diverse cultures since time immemorial. We are home to all of the world's great religions... Saarc should increase its efforts to promote the region as a common tourist destination," he said while opening the Saarc Car Rally-2007.

The chief adviser said the car rally is taking place at an important juncture of our progress towards deeper regional integration.

The last Saarc summit in Dhaka had resolved that the third decade of Saarc would be one of implementation, he said. "Our decision should, therefore, touch the lives of our peoples and bring about visible changes all around."

The CA said he believes the car rally will provide impetus to implementing earlier decisions taken on intra-regional growth of tourism.

He said the South Asian leaders over the years had tried to promote people-to-people contact by facilitating travel between the countries of the region. Other similar initiatives by Saarc have included exchanges in the fields of culture, sports and fostering linkages between the professional bodies.

The CA said the Saarc leaders had also declared 2006 to be South Asia Tourism Year and the car rally across the member countries is an appropriate conclusion to the yearlong celebration.

He said the action plan adopted during the second Saarc tourism ministers meeting in Cox's Bazar last year should be prioritised.

Fakhruddin said for facilitating tourism as well as other forms of economic and cultural contacts, Saarc countries should also expand direct air links among themselves.

For countries like Bangladesh, there is also a need for collaboration in developing human resources in the tourism sector, he said, adding: "This can provide yet another opportunity to increase people-to-people contact in South Asia."

Indeed, he said, these vital efforts are not just the provenance of Saarc governments, the private sector can also play an active and constructive role in the promotion of tourism, both intra-regionally and internationally.

The CA said tourism is a priority sector in Bangladesh and "We have developed a national tourism policy to foster growth in tourism at the domestic and international level."

The policy, he said, emphasises both tourism marketing and human resources development. The government has also taken steps to develop Cox's Bazar, Sundarbans, Chittagong hill districts and seaside resorts of Kuakata as special tourist zones.

"I'm optimistic that sustained efforts will be made by the Saarc countries in the coming days to promote rich cultural and ecological heritage of our region trough tourism," Fakhruddin said. "This will help us project the distinct identity of South Asia to the outside world and also help us to come closer together as a region."

Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Maj. Gen. (retd) MA Matin and Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury also spoke at the function. Envoys of Saarc countries, representatives of international organisations, civil and military officials and elite were present.

The chief adviser flagged off the car rally at about 12:25pm. He put his signature on a colourful flag of the rally declaring it open.

The caravan of 30 decorated Tata Safari cars will travel 1,300-km inside Bangladesh before entering India on March 18.

The cross-border caravan will cruise through seven member states of the Saarc and end in Maldives on April 14. Some 110 participants from the member countries are taking part in the event. They will drive along an 8,200-km path, across varying terrain, over a 30-day period.

Two cars from each member state have joined the historic event.