Bangladesh’s first international travel trade marketplace, the Bangladesh Travel Mart (BTM), will be held from September 3 to 5 at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka, organized by the Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA).
Organizers expect more than 130 exhibitors from 20 countries, including Bangladesh, along with over a hundred tourism-related organizations and about 15,000 visitors.
BOTOA president Syed Golam Mohammad announced the details at a news conference at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka on Saturday (July 11). He said Bangladesh’s tourism industry had entered a new horizon of possibility, and that with government policy support, private-sector investment, improved communications and greater international connectivity, the country was rapidly emerging as one of South Asia’s most promising tourism destinations.
Golam Mohammad said the country’s natural beauty, rich history, diverse culture, archaeological heritage and warm hospitality were making Bangladesh increasingly attractive to international tourists. BOTOA was organizing the Bangladesh Travel Mart for the first time to present that potential more systematically on the global stage and to strengthen the country’s links with the international tourism industry, he said, calling the September 3-5 event an important milestone for the development of the country’s tourism, travel and aviation industries.
BOTOA general secretary Md. Shariful Islam Sharif said that although the organization mainly represented the country’s outbound tourism industry, it was also working to expand inbound tourism, attract international tourists, increase investment in the sector, build international cooperation and promote a positive branding of Bangladesh globally.
The mart’s chief coordinator, Mohsin Iqbal, said Bangladesh Travel Mart 2026 would bring tourism boards, airlines, hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), tour operators, travel agencies and international buyers and sellers from various countries onto a single platform, connecting the country’s tourism industry more effectively with the global market.
The news conference was told that, for the first time, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) activities would be held in two separate exhibition halls at the Bangladesh Travel Mart. For the first time in the history of the country’s travel fairs, an international hosted-buyer program would also be organized, arranging scheduled business meetings between international buyers and exhibitors.
According to the organizers, the B2B activities would feature international buyer-seller meetings, business networking and discussions on partnerships, creating scope for new investment, market expansion, cross-border tourism cooperation and international business opportunities in the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.
On the B2C platform, visitors would be able to learn about and take up domestic and foreign travel packages, air tickets, hotel bookings, visa services, destination information and special travel offers from participating organizations.
BOTOA senior vice-president Md. Mohsin Iqbal, vice-president AKM Kamruzzaman and other members of the organization’s executive board were present at the news conference.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report