Business worth BDT 43 crore conducted over three days; visitor presence exceeds 45,000

The Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BTTF) 2026 has concluded successfully, emphasizing how Artificial Intelligence can be utilized more efficiently, reliably, and inclusively in tourism management while balancing the social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainable tourism. Organized by the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), the three-day fair saw total sales and commercial transactions worth approximately BDT 43 crore. Additionally, nearly 45,000 visitors attended the event during this period. Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines received a tremendous response in ticket sales at this year's fair.

The three-day fair came to an end yesterday, Saturday (31 October), through a closing ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport. The Chief Guest at the closing ceremony was M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism. Dr. Nurun Nahar Chowdhury, NDC, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism; Dr. Nazneen Kawsher Chowdhury, Executive Chairman (Secretary) of the National Skills Development Authority; Md. Shamimuzzaman, Chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation; Barrister Mutasim Billah Faruqui, CEO of the Bangladesh Tourism Board; Kaizar Sohel Ahmed, Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines; GM Azizur Rahman, Additional IGP of Bangladesh Tourist Police; the President and leaders of TOAB; alongside local and international representatives from the tourism sector, also attended to the event.

Delivering his speech as Chief Guest at the closing ceremony, M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism said, “Bangladesh’s tourism sector holds immense potential. To further improve the tourism sector’s communication infrastructure, we have expanded the aviation sector. Meanwhile, we have already adopted a master plan to enrich tourism, under which hotels and resorts will be operated with the support of regulations, technology, and sustainable planning. We have installed solar panels at resorts to address power shortages and arranged training for the younger generation through the National Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (NHTTI). Alongside it, the use of technology must be increased to ensure destination management, tourist safety, waste management, environmental monitoring, and emergency services. In particular, there is an opportunity to introduce digital information services and smart monitoring systems at our tourist spots. Through the proper application of technology and the effective enforcement of regulations, it is possible to build more responsible and sustainable tourism destinations.”

Prior to the closing ceremony, a seminar was organized at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center (BCFCC), the main venue of the fair. Speakers at the seminar, titled ‘AI for Sustainable Tourism Operation’, discussed the potential of Artificial Intelligence integration and sustainable development in the tourism sector.

Discussants noted that AI should be applied to enhance tourist searches, booking management, dynamic pricing, itinerary generation, hospitality services, and overcoming language barriers. Furthermore, the seminar highlighted the role of technology in controlling destination overcrowding, promoting local businesses, saving aviation fuel, enabling data-driven decision-making, and mitigating the environmental impact of tourism.

Speakers further stated that the effective application of AI in the tourism sector requires adequate and reliable data, skilled personnel, robust infrastructure, and strong public-private partnerships. At the same time, ensuring the use of technology while preserving the human touch, warmth, hospitality, and cultural experience will remain both the primary challenge and opportunity for sustainable tourism development.

The seminar was chaired by Syed Safat Uddin Ahmed, 1st Vice President of TOAB, with the keynote paper presented by Syed Sajjat Hossain Mahmud, CEO of Swadeshi Communications. Additionally, Dr. Md. Anowar Hossain Bhuiyan, Associate Professor of Faculty of Business Studies, National University Bangladesh and Mahbub Parvez, Associate Professor of Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Daffodil International University, participated as discussants. The seminar was moderated by Akhtaruzzaman Kabir, Chairman of the Dhrubotara Youth Development Foundation (DYDF).

Emphasizing that sustainable tourism is not limited to the tourism industry alone, discussants stated that it is part of a coordinated effort across all sectors linked to the economy, environment, and society. AI offers opportunities to streamline tourist queries, bookings, pricing models, itinerary creation, hospitality management, and translation barriers. Analyzing sufficient tourism-related data enables more effective travel planning, increases tourist trust, and lowers operational costs as well as environmental footprints.

Simultaneously, AI-driven flight route planning helps reduce fuel consumption, while analyzing integrated data such as weather patterns, weekends, booking volumes, and transportation networks can improve destination management. The seminar also highlighted a step-by-step framework for AI deployment in tourism: problem identification, relevant data collection, pilot testing of tools, evaluating costs and environmental impacts, and scaling successful initiatives.

The economic potential, job creation, and skill development aspects of the tourism sector were also highlighted at the seminar. AI can assist in analyzing tourism’s contribution to GDP, tourist demographics, and travel trends. However, skilled human resources, sound infrastructure, effective policies, and public-private partnerships remain essential for the sector’s sustainable growth. AI can also play an effective role in drafting travel plans that balance the three pillars of sustainable tourism: social, environmental, and economic. To prepare the tourism sector for the future, speakers urged a balanced integration of human experiences with AI capability.

National and international tourism representatives and organizations from 20 countries including Nepal, India, Singapore, Maldives, Philippines, Turkey, UAE, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Azerbaijan participated in this 14th edition of the fair. Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Nepal served as partner countries for this edition, while US-Bangla Airlines was the title sponsor.

Additionally, the fair's official partners included Biman Bangladesh Airlines as Airline Partner, Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport as Platinum Hospitality Partner, Sabre as GDS (Global Distribution System) Partner, OPAS Communications Ltd. as PR Partner, M360ICT as Technology Partner, Convoy Service as Transport Partner, Maestro as Digital Partner, Panorama PC Creators and Ruchi as Audio-Visual Partners, and BCFCC as Venue Partner.

Under the theme ‘AI Powered Tourism, Sustainable Destination,’ this edition of BTTF highlighted Bangladesh’s tourism potential on the global stage while fostering business connections, knowledge exchange, and new investment opportunities among domestic and international stakeholders. It also emphasized continuing coordinated efforts across public-private partnerships, modern technology integration, skilled human resource development, and environmental conservation to advance the tourism sector.