DHAKA, Bangladesh – A four-day international tourism fair — Eastern Bank-Monitor Dhaka Travel Mart 2014 — is set to begin today at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, to showcase various travel packages.
โTourism is a growing sector in the country. The exhibition will give a boost to the sector that was hit hard by political unrest last year,โ said Kazi Wahidul Alam, editor of The Bangladesh Monitor and chairman of the exhibition committee, at a press briefing in Dhaka yesterday.
The exhibition attracts more and more visitors every year, leading to growing business for the participants, said Alam.
More than 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the exhibition, which was around 8,500 last year, he added.
A total of 48 organisations such as national tourism organisations, airlines, tour operators, hotels, resorts, travel trade bodies, and financial institutions from eight countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, are taking part in the show.
Organisations participating in the fair will offer up to 50 percent discount on airfare and special discounts on tour packages to the visitors.
Rashed Khan Menon, minister for civil aviation and tourism, is expected to inaugurate the fair at 4pm today.
The fair will remain open from 10am to 8pm with an entry fee of Tk 20.
Eastern Bank Ltd is the title sponsor of the fair, while Biman Bangladesh Airlines is the airline partner and Bangladesh Tourism Board is the premium partner.