11th Asian Tourism Fair kicks off in Dhaka

The three-day 11th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF) commenced on Thursday at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka, with participation from eight Asian nations, including host Bangladesh and prime partner country Maldives.

The event is organized by the local travel magazine Porjoton Bichitra, with support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Tourism Board, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, and Tourist Police Bangladesh.

The fair aims to rejuvenate the tourism industry, which has faced significant challenges in recent years, ATF chairman and editor of Porjoton Bichitra Mohiuddin Helal, reports BSS.

"The fair's primary goal is to reinvigorate the tourism sector by increasing the popularity of Bangladesh's tourist destinations both domestically and internationally while fostering regional cooperation," he said.

The fair will showcase tourism businesses such as hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise lines, theme parks, and tour operators, along with government tourism agencies and several embassies, to promote regional tourism collaboration.

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation chairman AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik will inaugurate the fair tomorrow with the presence of High Commissioner of the Maldives and Ambassador of the Philippines to Bangladesh.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is the title sponsor, with the Maldives as the prime partner country and Intercontinental Dhaka serving as the hospitality partner.

On the occasion, High Commissioner of Maldives to Bangladesh Shiuneen Rasheed said the people-to-people connections between the countries are robust and can be traced back to centuries.

"It is the essence of our current bilateral agenda. We are therefore excited to witness an exponential increase in the number of tourist arrivals from Bangladesh," she said.

This is indeed the beginning of a new chapter of relations between Maldives and Bangladesh, said the envoy, adding that the main purpose of having such a strong presence at ATF this year is to show that Maldives is ready to warmly welcome our Bangladesh friends to our shores.

This year 23 companies from Maldives are participating in this fair.