The 11th edition of Asian Tourism Fair-2024 is attracting a large crowd of travel enthusiasts. From Friday morning, the fairgrounds at Dhaka International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) have been bustling with buyers and visitors.

Due to exciting discounts and gifts, people are flocking to the stalls, with some even standing in long queues to purchase tickets. Both buyers and sellers are pleased – visitors with the discounts and vendors with the increased sales.

The entry fee is Tk30 and the raffle draw based on the entry coupons offers winners attractive travel gift vouchers, including airline tickets. The fair showcases various exciting travel offers for domestic and international tours, special discounts on hotel, resort, or package bookings, and more.

Additionally, seminars on tourism, a children's drawing competition, business-to-business (B2B) meetings, and cultural performances from China, the Philippines, and Bangladesh are also organised.

Diverse Sellers Offering Exciting Travel Deals

The fair features numerous stalls from both local and international travel sellers. Among the domestic travel groups is Tour Group BD, which is promoting trips to destinations like Tanguar Haor, Saint Martin’s Island, and Sajek Valley.

Md. Rafsan Zani, Managing Director of Tour Group BD, said, "We are trying to promote online tourism through the fair. Boat rentals at Tanguar Haor range from Tk60,000 to Tk160,000, and individual travel costs range from Tk4,000 to Tk12,000. We're offering a 10% discount to those who book directly at the fair."

Dhaka Dinner Cruise has also set up a stall, offering river cruises. CEO Md. Borhan Uddin said, "We are offering boat tours on the Shitalakshya, Meghna, and Buriganga rivers. Many of our travel-loving people prefer to explore by river.

In addition to these tours, Lady Bird is offering women-only travel options. Ferdousi Rahman, Executive of Business Development at Lady Bird, said, "Many women in our country prefer to travel solo or in small groups, but often end up joining tours with men, as most tour groups cater to mixed-gender travel. Many women don’t feel safe in such groups, and so they avoid traveling. We arrange both domestic and international tours specifically for women."

In addition to these groups, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, Bangladesh Tourism Board, and several travel groups from the Maldives, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bhutan, and Singapore are offering discounts at the fair, and they are also receiving a great response.

Bd pratidin English/Lutful Hoque