Parjatan focuses on sports tourism

A stadium in Dhaka promises bright prospect for sports tourism.Photo: STAR

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation has initiated a move to develop sports tourism by organising more sports events in the country, said the chairman of the state-owned tourism agency.
The plan is designed to encourage more people to visit tourist destinations.
“We need to develop our tourism industry with a dynamic and broader view and by introducing new ideas such as sports tourism,” said Shafique Alam Mehedi.
Sports tourism involves people travelling to watch or take part in sports. These activities may include people competing in an international event, such as the Olympics, or simply sitting among the audience watching a sports event.
“Sports have no boundaries. People of this region love sports, which is also a means to lure people to the region,” he added.
As part of the initiative, Parjatan plans to launch a three-day marathon walk on March 11 over the stretch of 120-kilometre sea beach in Cox's Bazar.
This programme is aimed at promoting Cox's Bazar in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign, the Parjatan boss said.
Alam said the contest is the first initiative of its kind in the country to be joined by some 500 people in different groups.
Parjatan, Matra, an advertising agency, and Activate Bangladesh Foundation, a non-government organisation, are jointly organising the race named Jago Bangladesh [Wake up Bangladesh].
Parjatan also plans to collaborate with the youth and sports ministry, as Bangladesh is going to host the inaugural ceremony of the World Cup Cricket 2011 at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.
“If we host the inaugural ceremony of the tournament in 2011, it will help boost our tourism industry, as both cricket and football are very popular games in the sub-continental,” said the chairman.
“Organising the inaugural ceremony successfully will encourage different international sports authorities to arrange more sports events in the country,” he said.
“Developing sports tourism will create an opportunity for us to establish new sports venues and ensure better maintenance of the existing venues, which will eventually advance the country's sports industry,” he said.
Currently, the country has seven cricket venues, including one in Mirpur and one in Fatullah, which are expected to organise five matches of the World Cup 2011 cricket tournament to be jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Besides cricket, football is popular in Bangladesh and there are several football venues, including Bangabandhu National Stadium, which has been brought up to international standards.
There are also some golf clubs in the country.
Parjatan is now concentrating more on improving the quality of its units, such as hotels, motels and restaurants, and also taking initiatives to run promotional activities abroad to attract foreign tourists, said the chairman.
Alam said the corporation is facing a fund dearth but will have to spend handsome amounts on campaigning.

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