DTM 2025 concludes successfully promoting Bangladesh as cultural, eco-tourism hub

Dhaka : This year's Dhaka Travel Mart was held in an effort to promote Bangladesh as a cultural and eco-tourism hub. The international tourism fair served as a gateway for networking among industry stakeholders, fostering partnerships, while showcasing the best that Bangladesh has to offer to international and domestic tourists alike.

The 20th edition of the three-day long popular tourism fair held at the Ball Room of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, organized by The Bangladesh Monitor, concluded on February 8. 

The biggest edition of the fair witnessed a staggering number of sales-around BDT 10 crore-as well as a visitor footfall of almost 20,000.   

Over 50 travel trade organizations from the UAE, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Jordan, India, and host Bangladesh, showcased their products and services at the fair. Participants announced special offers for the visitors on air tickets, tour packages, hotel and resort rooms, among others.

Visitors also won 45 exciting prizes from raffle draw on entry tickets. Raffle prizes included return air tickets to domestic and international destinations, accommodation at international hotels and resorts at home and abroad, lunch and dinner at star hotels in the country.

Mohd Shuhada Othman, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh, formally inaugurated the fair titled 'US-Bangla Airlines Dhaka Travel Mart 2025' on February 6 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.

In his address, the Malaysian High Commissioner highlighted Malaysia's diverse attractions, favorable exchange rates, and its reputation as a leading destination for medical and education tourism to global travelers and Bangladeshis alike. He stressed the opportunities for further collaboration between the two nations.

Mohd Shuhada Othman, HC of Malaysia to BD; SM Lablur Rahman, Member-Finance, CAAB; Mohammad Shamsul Karim, GM-Sales, Biman; Kamrul Islam, GM-PR, US-Bangla; Md Shafquat Hossain, DMD, MTB; and Hasnain Rafiq, COO, Firsttrip; and Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor, The Bangladesh Monitor, seen cutting a ribbon to inaugurate DTM 2025 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka on February 6_Photo : Monitor

The inaugural ceremony was also addressed by SM Lablur Rahman, Member-Finance, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh; Mohammad Shamsul Karim, General Manager (Sales) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines; Kamrul Islam, General Manager (PR) of US-Bangla Airlines; Md Shafquat Hossain, Deputy Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank; Hasnain Rafiq, Chief Operating Officer of Firsttrip; and Kazi Wahidul Alam, Editor, The Bangladesh Monitor.

CAAB Member-Finance Lablur Rahman assured that the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, as the regulator and facilitator, will continue to support initiatives like Dhaka Travel Mart which promote the travel and aviation sectors of the country. He also claimed the authority is ready to further facilitate all stakeholders of the sector as well as passengers in this growing age of travel.

Mohammad Shamsul Karim, General Man-ager (Sales) of Biman Bangla-desh Airlines, highlighted that the flag carrier has been a part of this fair since the latter's inception, as it is the national airline's duty to contribute to endeavors that work for the development of the aviation and tourism sector.    

US-Bangla Airlines also took part in this year's edition of the travel mart only to support the aviation and tourism industry's growth, according to Kamrul Islam, General Manager-PR of US-Bangla Airlines. He said, the airline, this year, decided to become the title sponsor of the event, even after not having a stall at the fair.

Mutual Trust Bank, the banking partner of the event, also jumped onboard with the same intention, claimed Md Shafquat Hossain, Deputy Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank. With the largest network of airport lounges in the country and end to end solutions for cardholders, the bank took part in this fair to promote its travel products to enthusiasts, while further facilitating the travel industry with unique solutions.

According to Hasnain Rafiq, Chief Operating Officer of Firsttrip, the OTA officially launched its B2C service with a new app and a website at the fair.