Promotion & Marketing activities of Bangladesh Tourism Board
Since its inception in July 2010, the Bangladesh Tourism Board has been resolutely promoting a positive image of Bangladesh to the world.
School of Life:
On the occasion of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and for the first time in the history of Bangladesh a Television Commercial titled ‘Beautiful Bangladesh (School of Life)’ was produced in order to be transmitted during the opening ceremony.
On the 17th of February 2011 the 3.30 minute a Television Commercial for attracting tourist into Bangladesh was aired during the opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The Television Commercial was viewed by an audience from more than 180 nations which was highly praised and appreciated all over the world.
Later on this television commercial was aired in various tourism film festivals and it had obtained the best television commercial award in many events. This television commercial has most recently obtained the 3rd best television commercial award at the prestigious Zagreb Film Festival. Such a feat has been able to uplift the image of Bangladesh in front of the global audience.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2011:
The 2011 Cricket World Cup was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The International Cricket Council had selected the Bangladesh Tourism Board as the local partner for the 2011 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Tourism Board had completed the assigned responsibilities with great success.
Informational Kiosks were setup at various locations during the World Cup. The Hazrat Shahalal International Airport in Dhaka, the Sher e Bangla National cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Shaheed Zahur Ahmed Stadium in Chittagong were prime locations for tourists. These informational kiosks were setup in order to attract the international spectators of the cricket matches; for marketing the tourism aspect of Bangladesh to the foreigners.
A special Tourism help line number 13801 was also launched during the Cricket World Cup Event in order to help the interested tourists with valuable tourism information of Bangladesh. Such an initiative was highly successful and it had garnered a lot of praise from not only the foreign tourists but also the general public of Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Tourism Board also setup advertisement billboards in order to attract tourists at various important locations of Bangladesh. A total of 27 billboards were setup in prime locations during the World Cup in Dhaka.
The logo of Bangladesh Tourism Board were engraved on the International Cricket Council approved Cricket Wallet, Billboard, Fascia, Display Stand, Tickets.
The logo of Bangladesh Tourism Board was also imprinted on the pitch mat near mid wicket position in the 8 cricket matches which were held in the Dhaka and Chittagong venues.
The tourism aspects of Bangladesh were highlighted through printed pictorial advertisements pasted into the official International Cricket Council match souvenirs.
Due to the special tourism campaign which was initiated during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Bangladesh was able to become attractive as a tourist destination towards the global audience.
Digital Marketing Campaign:
The Bangladesh Tourism Board had created its own website www.tourismboard.gov.bd in order for digital marketing campaign. Another website labeled www.visitbangladesg.gov.bd which was created during Cricket World Cup 2011 was Re-vamped for the digital marketing campaign.
Through such activities of Bangladesh Tourism Board it had lead to greater creation of awareness, shaped a better image and developed tourism potential for Bangladesh in the global scenario.
Bangladesh Folk Festival 2011:
In order to promote the enriched folk history of Bangladesh to the foreign media journalists covering the ICC World Cup 2011, Bangladesh tourism board arranged a day long program named “Indigenous Fair / Folk Festival”. Honorable Chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Board along with ICC Media Manager inaugurated the ceremony in the presence of all the media of Bangladesh. The arrangements of the festival were quite spectacular. The participants were the renowned folk fashion houses of the country, local cuisines, and historical facts on Dhaka, Sundarbans voting stalls etc. There were 40 different stalls given by 40 different ventures that mainly display and sold their products in the fair. Most of them came from different parts of the country to show their own regional tribal culture and tradition. Many reputed Bangladeshi boutique shop also gave their shops in the indigenous fair. Every item was quite unique and different from each other. The visitors got a very good experience of varieties product in the same place. Other than craft items there were also some traditional food item stall in the fair. They were serving different tasty Bangladeshi food in the fair which led to a very good response from the visitors. In the program, there were many interactive arrangements available for the visitors at the event. Some of them were snake charming, face paint, bador nach etc. A spectacular cultural program was held at the end of the fair. Many famous singers and artists of the country performed to entertain the foreign guests. The event ended with a banquet which carried the real Bangladeshi cuisine flavor. Around 2000 local people attended the fair. Foreign and local media people were also present in the fair time. Many hotel guests also visited the fair and appreciated the initiative taken by Bangladesh Tourism Board. The Bangladesh Tourism Board personnel worked tirelessly to ensure the event was successful. Folk Festival was highly covered by both print and digital media of Bangladesh. Some of the foreign media also covered the information about the program into the internet. In a short it can be said, it was a successful event from the perspective of both foreigner and local crowd.
Participation in Foreign Tourism Exhibitions:
In order to increase the attractiveness of Tourism in Bangladesh and to promote the country, the Bangladesh Tourism Board launched “Visit Bangladesh Campaign”. In order to facilitate this project the Bangladesh Government had allocated a total of Sixty Six Crore Taka. The Bangladesh Tourism Board had taken various initiatives under this massive project.
In order to promote the tourism industry and to market Bangladesh abroad, the Bangladesh Tourism Board had participated in various foreign tourism exhibition where there was a high amount of potential tourists. All of the tourism exhibitions had participation from private tour operators as well as providers of other services. The Bangladesh Tourism Board has participated in foreign tourism exhibitions mentioned below:
JATA, Tokyo, Japan, ITB Singapore, China International Travel Mart (CITM), Kunming, China, World Travel Mart (WTM), London, UK, FITUR, Madrid Spain, ITB Berlin, Germany, China Outbound Travel and Tourism Mart (COTTM), Beijing, China, Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA), Seoul.
More than hundred Bangladeshi tour operators have participated in foreign exhibitions in order to showcase their products, and this would have a positive impact for Bangladeshi tourists. The Bangldesh Tourism Board has participated in Nine International Tourism Exhibitions in the years of 2011-2012.
By participating in various international fairs, the image of Bangladesh is highlighted to the global community, and it shall have a positive impact for the tourists who are seeking to make Bangladesh their travel destination. The Bangladesh Tourism Board had been awarded the Best Marketing NTO (National Trade Organization) at the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA), which event was held in Korea. By winning first prize at an exhibition amongst hundred and fifty other participants has truly helped to highlight Bangladesh’s image and can also help to promote and market Bangladesh as an important tourist destination.
Bangladesh Premier League 2011:
The inaugural Bangladesh premier league hosted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board was co-sponsored and collaborated by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. The Bangladesh Premier League was an International Standard T20 Cricket Tournament which had lots of well known foreign players as participants. Such participation of foreign players also drew many foreign spectators. As a benefit of being co-sponsors in an international sporting event such as the Bangladesh Premier League the Bangladesh Tourism Board was able to showcase the tourism industry of Bangladesh to an international audience through various television commercials.
Through such activities of Bangladesh Tourism Board it had lead to greater creation of awareness, shaped a better image and developed tourism potential for Bangladesh in the global scenario.
World Tourism Day 2011 observed with the theme ‘Tourism – Linking Cultures’:
World Tourism Day was observed across the country like elsewhere around the globe with a target to attract one million foreign tourists by 2014.
The president, Zillur Rahman, and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, issued separate messages on the occasion.
In his message, the president urged all concerned to project glorious culture of the country to the international level for the promotion of tourism sector.
In the separate message, the prime minister said Bangalee culture had developed with the heritage of thousands of years. ‘The diverse life style of the people of different communities has enriched the culture, that has given Bangladesh a unique dignity in the field of tourism,’ she said.
Bangladesh Tourism Board, the country’s National Tourism Organisation observed the day in all divisional cities arranging colourful rallies and discussion meeting on various aspect of tourism.
In the capital, the day’s programme began by staging a colourful rally, led by the civil aviation and tourism minister, GM Quader, from TSC of the Dhaka University to National Press Club.
Members of the tourist society of Dhaka University made the rally lively by wearing traditional customs and carrying different folklore gears.
This year’s theme of the day ‘Tourism Linking Culture’ will play an important role in increasing people to people contact through tourism that will help in establishing world peace.
After the rally the tourism minister spoke in a press conference at the National Press Club marking the day.
At the conference, it is declared that a three-day regional tourism fair titled ‘Asian Tourism Fair’ is going to be kicked off in the capital on September 29 with a vision to make common tourism promotion strategies for the Asian countries highlighting their own unique regional characteristics.
Apart from the host country Bangladesh, tour operators, airlines, hotels and others service providers from public and private sectors from India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Vietnam, China, Japan, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Qatar, among others, will participate in the fair.
The Parjatan Bichitra and Bangladesh Tourism Board will jointly organise the fair at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre with the support of ministry of civil aviation and tourism and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.
Asian Tourism Fair 2011:
A three-day regional tourism fair was held on Dhaka city from September 29th till 1st October with a view to making common tourism-promotion strategies for the Asian countries highlighting their own unique regional characteristics.
The ‘Asian Tourism Fair 2011’, first of its kind in the country, focused on the prospect of tourism industry in the region to attract tourists from across the world to eye-soothing tourist attractions in the region.
The fair was jointly organized by the Parjatan Bichitra and Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) with the support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC).
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader had opened the fair as the chief guest.
A total of 172 stalls, mostly from tour operators, airlines and leading hotels of Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox`s Bazar, were erected at the venue during the fair in order to showcase their services and other facilities to be offered for the tourists. Over 50 stalls were set up by 12 countries from the Asian region.
Apart from the host country Bangladesh, tour operators, airlines, hotels and other service providers from public and private sectors from India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Vietnam, China, Japan, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia and Qatar, among others, participated in the fair.
The fair had over 50 foreign exhibitors from different countries and over 50,000 visitors, including foreign buyers, trade visitors, media professionals, corporate personalities, educators and researchers, from Bangladesh and abroad.
Apart from showcasing services, three seminars on prospects and problems of tourism sector in the region and cultural functions were be organized during the three-day fair.
11th SAARC Trade Fair & Tourism Mart 2012:
According to the decision of SAARC; the Bangladesh Tourism Board in conjunction with the Export Promotion Bureau from 30th March to 1st of April launched a three day long exhibition titled 11th SAARC Trade Fair & Tourism Mart-2012. This was the first time in South East Asia when such a grand scale exhibition was successfully completed. The Finance & Tourism Ministers from all the SAARC Countries, the top officials from national tourism organization and various stakeholders from different levels of the tourism industry enjoyed the SAARC fair. The three day long fair was inaugurated by the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Mr Abul Maal Abdul Muhit. Various business organizations and tourism organizations from all the SAARC Countries participated in the SAARC Fair. Three International Seminars were held regarding the potential of Bangladesh Tourism at the fair. Also a rally was held in Dhaka City in order to promote the event to the general public.
Such an event helped highlight the image of Bangladesh even more and it showed that Bangladesh was more than capable enough as a venue country for such high profile event.
