The 18th edition of the popular international tourism fair Dhaka Travel Mart began at the Ball Room of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on Thursday.
Organized by the Bangladesh Monitor, a leading travel and tourism publication, the three-day fair is supported by the private sector airline Air Astra as the title sponsor, with US-Bangla Airlines and Eastern Bank Ltd joining as the premium sponsor and banking partner, respectively.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid MP inaugurated the fair as the chief guest.
The inaugural ceremony was also addressed by Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain, Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Haznah Md Hashim, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Rahat Anwar, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal (AVM) M Mafidur Rahman, Air Astra CEO Imran Asif, US-Bangla Airlines Director (Strategic Planning and Transformation) Md Mahbub Jahan Khan, Eastern Bank Ltd (EBL) Head of Communications and External Affairs Ziaul Karim and the Bangladesh Monitor Editor Kazi Wahidul Alam.
Kazi Wahidul Alam said: “Our main objective is to bring together the stakeholders and provide a platform for their mutual interaction to facilitate the overall development of Bangladesh tourism. Dhaka Travel Mart is an opportunity for the sellers to showcase and promote their travel products and services, while buyers can choose their needed services directly.”
“Fifty organizations representing national tourism organizations, airlines, tour operators, hotels, resorts, travel agencies, online travel agencies, healthcare service providers, and other tourism-related organizations from home and abroad are showcasing their products and services in 65 stalls and seven pavilions,” he added.
The participating countries are India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, KSA, Oman, UAE, and host Bangladesh.
Visitors during the three days of the fair can enjoy attractive offers from the participating organizations, including discounts on air tickets and hotel accommodations, tour packages, and many others.
Dhaka Travel Mart will remain open for visitors every day from 10am-8pm until May 20, 2023, on payment of an entry fee of Tk50 per person.
A raffle draw will be held every day on the entry tickets and visitors will have the opportunity to win prizes including airline tickets to Cairo, Dubai, Male, Bangkok, Kolkata, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, and Sylhet hotel accommodations and complimentary lunch/dinner at star hotels, among others.
