Int’l travel mart to kick off in Dhaka in Sept

Bangladesh is set to host an international travel trade marketplace in a move to strengthen the country’s position on the global tourism map and create new opportunities for business, investment and tourism partnerships.

The three-day Bangladesh Travel Mart (BTM) 2026 will be held from September 3 to 5 at InterContinental Dhaka, with participants from more than 20 countries, according to a press release.

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Organised by the Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA), the event will bring together leading tourism organisations, airlines, hotels, destination management companies, tour operators, travel agencies, investors and buyers from Bangladesh and abroad.

More than 130 local and international exhibitors, 50 international hosted buyers, 200 Bangladeshi buyers, representatives from over 100 tourism organisations and around 15,000 visitors are expected to attend what organisers describe as Bangladesh’s largest international tourism and travel trade exhibition.

Syed Golam Mohammad, president of BOTOA, said Bangladesh’s tourism industry had entered a new era, supported by better connectivity, growing private-sector investment, stronger government backing and increased international engagement.

“Bangladesh has exceptional natural beauty, a rich cultural and historical heritage, and is known for its hospitality. BTM will provide an international platform to showcase these strengths and build stronger partnerships with the global tourism industry,” he said.

He added that the event would help promote Bangladesh as an attractive tourist destination while creating new business opportunities in the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.

Md Shariful Islam Sharif, general secretary of BOTOA, said that although the association mainly represents Bangladesh’s outbound tourism industry, it is also committed to promoting inbound tourism and attracting more international visitors.

“BTM 2026 reflects our long-term vision of giving Bangladesh a stronger presence in the global tourism market while creating new opportunities for business partnerships and investment,” he said.

Mohsin Iqbal, chief coordinator of BTM, said the event would serve as an international networking platform, bringing together tourism boards, airlines, hotels, destination management companies, tour operators and travel agencies from around the world under one roof.

BTM 2026 will feature separate business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) exhibition halls. For the first time in Bangladesh, a travel exhibition will also include an International Hosted Buyer Programme to facilitate structured meetings between global buyers and exhibitors.

The B2B programme will include pre-arranged buyer-seller meetings, networking sessions and partnership discussions to generate business opportunities, promote cross-border tourism cooperation and encourage investment in the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.

The B2C exhibition will offer domestic and international tour packages, airline tickets, hotel bookings, visa services, destination information and exclusive promotional offers.