3-day Int’l tourism fair kicks off in Dhaka

After a break of over two years, the long-awaited international travel and tourism fair "Dhaka Travel Mart '' began at the Ball Room of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the city on Thursday (2 June). 

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali formally inaugurated the fair as the chief guest, reads a press release. 

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Prof Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, Chairman (Senior Secretary) of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Jashim Uddin, President of  FBCCI as the   special guest and guest of honor respectively.

Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor of The Bangladesh Monitor, also the organiser of the tourism fair in his speech on the occasion said," Our main objective is to help accelerate recovery of the travel and tourism sector of the country, which was badly hit by the devastating pandemic.

We have tried to create a platform for the sellers to showcase and promote their travel products and services while buyers will have the opportunity to choose their needed services directly."

Wahidul Alam informed that a total of about 50 organisations, representing national tourism organisations, airlines, tour operators, hotels, resorts, travel agencies, online travel agencies, and healthcare service providers from home and abroad are taking part in the DTM 2022. 

Visitors during 3 days of the fair can enjoy attractive offers from the participating organisations including discounts on air tickets and hotel accommodation, tour packages among many others. Co-sponsor of the fair US-Bangla Airlines offers a 10 percent discount on domestic and 20 percent on international air tickets for travel to any destination in its network. In addition, anyone purchasing two return tickets for Cox's Bazar or Maldives will get a complimentary hotel room for two nights.
Airline Partner Biman Bangladesh Airlines offers an attractive discount of up to 20 percent on air tickets for travel to select international destinations in its network. Title Sponsor Triplover offers 5 percent cash back for B2B clients.

On the sideline of the fair a seminar on "Prospect of Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub" will be held on June 4 at 3.30 pm. Air Vice Marshall M. Mafidur Rahman, Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) will present the key-note paper while Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud MP, Managing Director, Fly Dhaka; Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, Managing Director and CEO, Biman Bangladesh Airlines; Md. Abdullah Al Mamun, Managing Director, US Bangla Airlines; Mofizur Rahman, Managing Director, Novoair; Imran Asif, Managing Director, Air Astra and Wing.Com. Nazrul Islam, Managing Director, United Airways BD Ltd. will participate as Discussants.  

The 3-day fair can be visited every day from 10 am to 8 pm on payment of an entry fee of Tk. 40 per person.  Visitors can win attractive door prizes in the raffle draw, which will include airline tickets to Maldives, Singapore, Delhi, Sharjah, Kolkata, Cox's Bazar and many others.

Leading Online Travel Agency (OTA)Triplover is playing host as Title Sponsor of the fair while the biggest private-sector airline in the country US- Bangla Airlines is the Co-sponsor. National carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), and Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) are the Partners of the DTM-2022. The Bangladesh Monitor is hosting the Dhaka Travel Mart for the 17th year.

The inaugural ceremony was also addressed by Nisha Tasnim Shaikh, Head of Operations Triplover; Md. Abdullah Al Mamun, Managing Director, US- Bangla Airlines;  Mofizur Rahman, Managing Director NOVOAIR; Md. Zahid Hossain, Director Marketing and Sales, Biman Bangladesh Airlines; Md. Ali Kadar, Chairman, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber Acting CEO, Bangladesh Tourism Board.