Dhaka: Bangladesh Travel Mart (BTM) 2026, an innovative international travel trade platform aimed at bridging Bangladesh's tourism industry with global markets, is set to commence at InterContinental Dhaka on Thursday. Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA) shared details about the event during a press conference on Monday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat will inaugurate the travel mart as the chief guest. The organisers have completed preparations for the inaugural edition of BTM, scheduled to run from September 3 to 5. The event will gather domestic and international tourism businesses, buyers, sellers, and service providers on a shared platform. Approximately 100 exhibitors, 60 trade buyers, and 15,000 visitors are expected to participate in the three-day event.
Tour operators, destination management companies, airlines, travel agencies, tourism organisations, and other travel service providers from Bangladesh and abroad will join the mart. BOTOA President Syed Golam Mohammad emphasized that BTM is designed as a business-focused platform to directly link Bangladesh's tourism industry with the international travel market. The goal is to unite domestic and international buyers, sellers, and tourism service providers to create actual business opportunities.
Bangladesh holds significant untapped tourism potential, and stronger engagement with international tourism businesses could help foster new markets, attract investment, and expand cooperation across the country's tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors. One of the defining features of BTM 2026 will be its Pre-Scheduled B2B Buyer-Seller Meetings, aimed at transforming networking into tangible commercial engagement. An online Pre-Scheduled Appointment System will enable registered buyers and sellers to identify prospective business partners and arrange meetings ahead of the event.
Chief Coordinator Mohsin Iqbal highlighted that the system will allow participants to maximize their time at the mart by connecting with potential partners based on business interests. The aim is for participants to leave BTM 2026 with networking contacts, tangible business prospects, new partners, and opportunities for future market expansion.
BTM 2026 will include separate Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) components to cater to both tourism professionals and travelers. The B2B segment will offer travel trade professionals opportunities to meet domestic and international buyers and sellers, build networks, and explore new partnerships. The B2C segment will allow visitors to engage directly with participating companies and explore various tour packages, airline tickets, hotel and resort bookings, visa services, destination information, and special travel offers.
The organisers envision Bangladesh Travel Mart evolving beyond a three-day annual event into a regular international trade platform that strengthens Bangladesh's presence in the global tourism marketplace. They anticipate that direct engagement among international buyers, sellers, and local tourism businesses will generate new commercial opportunities, expand markets, and deepen international cooperation in Bangladesh's tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors.