The three-day Bangladesh International Tourism Fair 2013 starts on November 28 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre of the capital.
The Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development and the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Tourism Board, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh Inbound Tour Operators Association and Bangladesh International Hotel Association organise the fair.
There will be 155 stalls at the 3rd international tourism fair, said the organisers at a press conference on Wednesday.
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka organised the press conference where BFTD executive director Rezaul Ekram said participants from the USA, Europe, Middle East and South Asia including Indian states are expected to participate in the fair.
He said during the event, Biman Bangladesh Airlines as official airliner will offer 25 per cent discount on tickets for all incoming participants.
Airlines like Malindo, Novo Air, Regent Air and United Air will also offer special fare for the event, said Rezaul.
He said attractive prizes along with air tickets will be awarded at raffle draw.
Seminar and cultural programmes have also been arranged.
The fair entry fee is Tk 20.
The civil aviation and tourism minister is scheduled to launch the fair at 3:45pm at BICC on November 28.
The organiser said travel agents, tour operators, hotels and resorts, card sellers, hospitals, institutions, national tourism organisation, airlines, financial institution, online sellers and other tourism service providers of 25 countries will also take part in the fair.
He said that mayor of West Sumatra Indonesia, tourism minister of Tripura and Tour Operators Association leaders from different countries are also expected to be present along with buyers from the USA, Canada, France, Mexico, Australia and Singapore.
Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development president Hakim Ali said, ‘In Bangladesh we have negative publicity by foreign media for our tourists as they always show the pictures of violence and strike.’
He urged political parties to address the ongoing crisis.
Comparing the tourism in neighbouring countries, Hakim Ali said the tourism of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka was moving forward whereas in Bangladesh it was lagging far behind.
Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel general manager Christoph Voegeli, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel general manager EJ Mac Ewan III, Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh president SN Manzur Murshed Mahbub also spoke among others at the press conference.
-With New Age input
