UNWTO event to make Bangladesh as one of global MICE destinations

Says civil aviation and tourism minister

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon yesterday said the upcoming first ever United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) event in the country will open a new door in establishing Bangladesh as one of the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events) tourism destinations, reports BSS.
The 29th meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CAP-CSA), the UNWTO’s principal annual event in the Asia-Pacific region, will be held from May 16 to 17 at a hotel in Chittagong.
A high level UNWTO delegation led by its Secretary General Taleb Rifai will attend the meeting with other 300 participants.
“In last two years, we organised a number of mega international events, including Buddhist Tourism Circuit Conference and PATA New Tourism Frontier Forum. Now we are going to hold an annual meeting of UNWTO next week with guests from 30 countries that has proved our capability of MICE tourism,” the minister told journalists at a press conference at Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) in the capital.
The minister said Bangladesh was looking for more support from the UNWTO as per earlier commitment made by the top global tourism body.
“During the Buddhist tourism circuit conference here in 2015, the secretary general of UNWTO Taleb Refai committed UN assistance in our tourism development. We will discuss further about the UNWTO support to Bangladesh in the upcoming conference,” Menon said.
At the meeting, international tourism experts and different stakeholders from East and South Asia and Pacific region will have discuss on sustainable tourism, tourism ethics protection of tourists and rights and obligations of tourism service providers.
The topic of sustainable tourism will be highlighted at the joint commission meeting as the UN General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development recalling the potential of tourism to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On May 15, one day ahead of the main event, the BTB will also organise a daylong discussion titled “UNWTO Regional Forum on Crisis Communication” at the same venue.
The minister said tourism experts of other countries will share their experience on how they are successfully sustaining tourism industry even under the terror threat.
The participants will visit tourist attractions in Chittagong - Central Railway Building (CRB), Ethnological Museum, Foy’s Lake, Patenga Sea Beach, Batali Hill, Shrine of Bayezid Bastami and World War II Cemetery during the tour.

UNWTO event to make Bangladesh as one of global MICE destinations

Says civil aviation and tourism minister

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon yesterday said the upcoming first ever United Nations World Tourism Organisations (UNWTO) event in the country will open a new door in establishing Bangladesh as one of the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events) tourism destinations, reports BSS. The 29th meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CAP-CSA), the UNWTOs principal annual event in the Asia-Pacific region, will be held from May 16 to 17 at a hotel in Chittagong. A high level UNWTO delegation led by its Secretary General Taleb Rifai will attend the meeting with other 300 participants. In last two years, we organised a number of mega international events, including Buddhist Tourism Circuit Conference and PATA New Tourism Frontier Forum. Now we are going to hold an annual meeting of UNWTO next week with guests from 30 countries that has proved our capability of MICE tourism, the minister told journalists at a press conference at Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) in the capital. The minister said Bangladesh was looking for more support from the UNWTO as per earlier commitment made by the top global tourism body. During the Buddhist tourism circuit conference here in 2015, the secretary general of UNWTO Taleb Refai committed UN assistance in our tourism development. We will discuss further about the UNWTO support to Bangladesh in the upcoming conference, Menon said. At the meeting, international tourism experts and different stakeholders from East and South Asia and Pacific region will have discuss on sustainable tourism, tourism ethics protection of tourists and rights and obligations of tourism service providers. The topic of sustainable tourism will be highlighted at the joint commission meeting as the UN General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development recalling the potential of tourism to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On May 15, one day ahead of the main event, the BTB will also organise a daylong discussion titled UNWTO Regional Forum on Crisis Communication at the same venue. The minister said tourism experts of other countries will share their experience on how they are successfully sustaining tourism industry even under the terror threat. The participants will visit tourist attractions in Chittagong - Central Railway Building (CRB), Ethnological Museum, Foys Lake, Patenga Sea Beach, Batali Hill, Shrine of Bayezid Bastami and World War II Cemetery during the tour.