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A three-day food and hospitality fair began in the city on Thursday to showcase exotic traditional Bangladeshi foods for promoting culinary tourism to both local and international tourists.
The fair titled 'Food and Hospitality Bangladesh Expo 2019', first of its kind in the country, was inaugurated by Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury as the chief guest at the International Convention City Bashundhara.
Bangladesh International Hospitality Association (BIHA) and Wem Bangladesh Limited under the supervision of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) jointly organised the event.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the minister said that a variety of traditional food and unique hospitality character of the people of Bangladesh are the major assets to promote tourism here.
The government has declared tourism as a thrust sector and gave highest priority to flourish the hospitality sector, identifying it as a potential tool to earning foreign exchange and reduce poverty, he added.
BPC Chairman Akhtaruz Zaman Khan Kabir said that the BPC always promotes the country's traditional food at home and abroad to exploit the huge opportunities of culinary tourism in Bangladesh.
Around 70 exhibitors, 150 brands and 200 international delegates from seven countries - India, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Italy, Spain and Bangladesh - are taking part at the expo.
The participants are representatives from hotels, restaurants, cafes, importers, distributors, housekeepers, spa specialists, architects and interior designers, hotel suppliers, chefs and government employees.
On the sidelines of the fair, live shows such as chef challenges, workshops on foods of different countries and roundtables on different topics related to food and hospitality are being organised.
Chairperson of BIHA HM Hakim Ali, Managing Director of Unique Group of Companies M Noor Ali and chairperson of Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association Khandakar Ruhul Amin also spoke at the function, among others.