Journey Plus brings journalist from UK to promote Bangladesh internationally

- A Monitor Report Date: 01 February, 2025
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George Shaw seen during a courtesy meeting with BTB CEO Abu Tahir Md Zaber at the latter’s head office in Dhaka. Taufiq Rahman, CEO of Journey Plus, also seen at the meeting

Dhaka : One of the country's leading Destination Management Company Journey Plus, in an effort to promote Bangladesh globally as a destination, sponsored, organized, and hosted a familiarization trip to the nation for George Shaw, Editor in Chief of Taste Asia London, Taste Asia, and Good Curry Guide from January 21 to 25.

Shaw's magazine exclusively promotes food, drink, heritage, and tourism of different destinations worldwide. 

Following his trip to Bangladesh, he will be writing positive notes about the country as well as its tourism sites.

Invited by the CEO of Journey Plus Taufiq Rahman, George Shaw arrived in Bangladesh on January 21, 2025, marking his first visit to the country.

He was then transferred to hotel InterContinental Dhaka.

Later that night, a special Bangladeshi Dinner was hosted by the hotel in honor of Shaw. InterContinental Dhaka also hosted two nights of his stay at their property.

On day two, Shaw visited Bangladesh Tourism Board's head office in the capital and met its CEO Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber. At the courtesy meeting, they discussed the possibilities of working together to promote Bangladesh in the British market.

In the United Kingdom, there are almost 9,500 Indian restaurants promoting Bang-ladeshi cuisine. According to Shaw, almost 1,00,000 Bangladeshi employees work at those restaurants. These Bangladeshis can play a vital role in promoting Bangladesh in the British market as tourism ambassadors of the country, suggested Shaw.

He also proposed BTB to organize a food festival with live cooking display before or after World Travel Mart in November 2025.

Furthermore, he urged the national tourism organization to bring some British and Bangladeshi origin chefs from the United Kingdom to Bangladesh, in attempt to promote Bangladeshi cuisine and tourism. 

On day three, Shaw was taken outside of Dhaka to Tangail. There he visited a community-based tourism project by a local Ngo Ubinig and Ajiyer Tourism. There, he also enjoyed a local organic lunch hosted by Ajiyer Tourism.

At Tangail, he experienced the process of rice husking and how mustard oil is prepared. He also witnessed the heritage art of Tangail saree weaving and varieties of seed production methods. The local farmers handed over complimentary seeds to Shaw.

Later, he moved to Bagura for an overnight stay at Momo Inn. At night, he enjoyed local street food, visited the local street market and century old restaurant Akbaria for dinner. At the dinner, he relished local Bagura yoghurt and renowned kotkoti.

The next day, Shaw travelled to the ancient archaeological sites of the third centuries BC at Mahasthan Garh. Earlier, he visited the biggest wholesale vegetable market of North Bengal-Mahasthan Bazar.

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