The details of the fair were announced at a press conference held Monday at Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan in the capital. Mahbubuddin Helal, Editor of Parjatan Bichitra and Chairman of the Asian Tourism Fair, briefed the media on the event. Chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Md. Shamimuzzaman attended the event as the chief guest.
According to the organisers, more than 200 organisations from 10 countries, including Bangladesh, will participate in this year's fair with the approval of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and support from Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and Bangladesh Tourism Board.
Around 300 stalls across three halls will showcase services and special offers from hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, tourism organisations and foreign missions.
The fair will feature special segments including the ‘Destination Bangladesh Showcase,’ ‘International Tourism Showcase’ and ‘Bangladesh Tourism Investment Showcase.’ Business-to-business (B2B) sessions, seminars, destination presentations, panel discussions, product promotions and networking events will also be held.
Cultural performances from Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines will be organised every evening during the fair.
Mahbubuddin Helal said the fair would help strengthen business networking among local and international tourism stakeholders, promote tourism products and create new opportunities for tourism investment in Bangladesh.
Chief guest Md. Shamimuzzaman said international fairs of this kind are important for the development of Bangladesh's tourism industry. He noted that coordinated participation by the public and private sectors would help showcase the country's tourism potential and investment opportunities to the international community.
The organisers said this year's fair will place special emphasis on haor, Sundarbans, river, adventure, community and eco-tourism. Participation by women entrepreneurs, children, students and tourism-related businesses has also been taken into consideration.
The fair is scheduled to be inaugurated at 11:00am on September 17 at ICCB. The Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism is expected to attend the opening ceremony as the chief guest, while the ministry's secretary is expected to be present as the guest of honour. Ambassadors from various countries and relevant officials are also expected to attend.
The closing ceremony will be held at 4:00pm on September 19, with the Minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs expected to attend as the chief guest.
The entry fee for the fair is Tk 30. Visitors will be eligible to participate in a raffle draw through their entry coupons. According to the organisers, prizes will include airline tickets, travel packages for domestic and international destinations, and various gift vouchers.
