Bangladesh Travel Mart (BTM) 2026, a new international travel trade platform aimed at connecting Bangladesh's tourism industry with global markets, will begin at InterContinental Dhaka on Thursday.
Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA) announced the details of the event at a press conference held at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat is scheduled to inaugurate the travel mart as the chief guest.
The organisers said preparations have been completed for the maiden edition of BTM, which will run from September 3 to 5 and bring together domestic and international tourism businesses, buyers, sellers and service providers on a common platform.
Around 100 exhibitors, 60 trade buyers and 15,000 visitors are expected to participate in the three-day event.
Tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), airlines, travel agencies, tourism organisations and other travel service providers from Bangladesh and abroad will participate in the mart.
Addressing the press conference, BOTOA President Syed Golam Mohammad said BTM was conceived not merely as an exhibition but as a business-focused platform capable of creating direct links between Bangladesh's tourism industry and the international travel market.
"Our goal is to bring domestic and international buyers, sellers and tourism service providers under one roof to create real business opportunities," he said.
He said Bangladesh has significant untapped tourism potential and stronger engagement with international tourism businesses could help create new markets, attract investment and expand cooperation across the country's tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.
The organisers said one of the defining features of BTM 2026 would be its Pre-Scheduled B2B Buyer-Seller Meetings, designed to turn networking into tangible commercial engagement.
An online Pre-Scheduled Appointment (PSA) System will allow registered buyers and sellers to identify prospective business partners and schedule meetings before the event.
The mechanism is designed to facilitate targeted business negotiations, development of new tourism products and destinations, exchange of packages and exploration of commercial agreements and long-term partnerships.
Chief Coordinator Mohsin Iqbal said the system would allow participants to make more productive use of their time at the mart by connecting them with potential partners based on their business interests.
"Our goal is for participants at BTM 2026 to leave not only with networking contacts, but also with tangible business prospects, new partners and opportunities for future market expansion," he said.
BTM 2026 will feature separate Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) components to serve both tourism professionals and travellers.
The B2B segment will provide travel trade professionals with opportunities to meet domestic and international buyers and sellers, build business networks and explore new partnerships.
The B2C segment will enable visitors to directly engage with participating companies and explore domestic and international tour packages, airline tickets, hotel and resort bookings, visa services, destination information and special travel offers.
The organisers said they envision Bangladesh Travel Mart developing beyond a three-day annual event into a regular international trade platform capable of strengthening Bangladesh's presence in the global tourism marketplace.
They expect direct engagement among international buyers, sellers and local tourism businesses to generate new commercial opportunities, expand markets and deepen international cooperation in Bangladesh's tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors.