Over 20 Countries to Join Bangladesh Travel Mart

Botoa President Syed Golam Mohammad speaking at a press conference in Dhaka today (11 July).

More than 20 countries are set to participate in the inaugural Bangladesh Travel Mart (BTM) 2026, an international travel trade marketplace aimed at positioning Bangladesh as an emerging tourism and travel trade hub in South Asia.

The three-day event will be held from September 3 to 5 at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, bringing together tourism boards, airlines, hotels, destination management companies (DMCs), tour operators, travel agencies, investors and buyers from Bangladesh and abroad.

According to the organisers, the event will feature more than 130 domestic and international exhibitors, 50 international hosted buyers, 200 Bangladeshi buyers, representatives from over 100 tourism organisations and an estimated 15,000 visitors, making it the country's largest international tourism and travel trade exhibition.

Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka on Saturday, Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (Botoa) President Syed Golam Mohammad said Bangladesh's tourism industry had entered a new phase, driven by improved connectivity, rising private-sector investment, stronger government support and growing international engagement.

He said Bangladesh Travel Mart 2026 would provide a global platform to showcase the country's natural beauty, cultural and historical heritage, and hospitality while strengthening partnerships with the international tourism industry.

The event is also expected to create new business opportunities in the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors while promoting Bangladesh as an attractive destination for international travellers.

Botoa General Secretary Md Shariful Islam Sharif said that although the association primarily represents the country's outbound tourism industry, it is equally committed to expanding inbound tourism and attracting more foreign visitors.

BTM Chief Coordinator Mohsin Iqbal said the event would serve as a comprehensive networking platform, bringing together tourism stakeholders from around the world under one roof.

The exhibition will feature separate Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) halls, enabling exhibitors to engage with trade professionals while offering consumers access to a dedicated travel marketplace.

For the first time in Bangladesh, the event will introduce an International Hosted Buyer Programme, allowing international buyers and exhibitors to hold structured business meetings.

The B2B segment will include pre-arranged buyer-seller meetings, networking sessions and partnership discussions aimed at generating new commercial opportunities, strengthening cross-border tourism cooperation and encouraging investment in the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.

The B2C exhibition will offer visitors access to domestic and international tour packages, airline tickets, hotel bookings, visa services, destination information and exclusive promotional offers from participating exhibitors.