Bangladesh Travel Mart begins Thursday in Dhaka

Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA), the organiser of the maiden edition of the mart, announced the details at a press conference at InterContinental Dhaka today.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, MP, is scheduled to inaugurate the event as the chief guest.

Around 100 exhibitors, 60 trade buyers and 15,000 visitors are expected to participate in the mart, to be held at InterContinental Dhaka from September 3 to 5.

Tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), airlines, travel agencies, tourism organisations and other travel service providers from Bangladesh and abroad will take part in the event.

BOTOA President Syed Golam Mohammad said the travel mart had been conceived not merely as an exhibition but as a business-focused platform to establish direct links between Bangladesh’s tourism industry and the international travel market.
“Our goal is to bring domestic and international buyers, sellers and tourism service providers under one roof to create real business opportunities,” he told the press conference.

Mohammad said Bangladesh has significant untapped tourism potential and stronger engagement with international tourism businesses could help create new markets, attract investment and expand cooperation in the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.

A key feature of BTM 2026 will be its Pre-Scheduled B2B Buyer-Seller Meetings, designed to translate networking opportunities into tangible commercial engagement, the organisers said.

An online Pre-Scheduled Appointment (PSA) System will enable registered buyers and sellers to identify prospective business partners and arrange meetings ahead of the event.

The system is expected to facilitate targeted business negotiations, development of new tourism products and destinations, exchange of packages and exploration of commercial agreements and long-term partnerships.

BTM Chief Coordinator Mohsin Iqbal said the mechanism would enable participants to use their time at the mart more productively by connecting them with potential partners based on their business interests.

“Our goal is for participants at BTM 2026 to leave not only with networking contacts, but also with tangible business prospects, new partners and opportunities for future market expansion,” he said.

The mart will have separate Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) components, catering to both tourism professionals and travellers.
Under the B2B segment, travel trade professionals will be able to meet domestic and international buyers and sellers, develop business networks and explore new partnerships.

The B2C segment will allow visitors to directly interact with participating companies and explore domestic and international tour packages, airline tickets, hotel and resort bookings, visa services, destination information and special travel offers.

BOTOA General Secretary Md Shariful Islam Sharif said the association wanted to establish an international-standard travel trade platform where exhibitions would be accompanied by meaningful commercial engagement.

“We want to create an international-standard travel trade platform where, alongside the exhibition, there will be genuine business engagement and productive B2B meetings,” he said.

Sharif said the event would also provide travellers with an opportunity to directly explore and compare offers from participating companies and destinations.

The organisers said they envision Bangladesh Travel Mart eventually developing beyond a three-day annual event into a regular international trade platform that could strengthen Bangladesh’s presence in the global tourism marketplace.

They expect direct interaction among international buyers, sellers and local tourism businesses to generate new commercial opportunities, expand markets and deepen international cooperation in the country’s tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors, reports BSS.