DHAKA, Feb 1, 2024 (BSS) - Civil aviation and tourism minister Muhammad Faruk Khan today said transformation of the country's tourism and leisure industry from potentiality to reality can be achieved by enhancing services.
 
"Improvement and the number of services should be increased to take the country's tourism sector forward", he said.  
 
He was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration session of the "12th Biman Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BTTF)-2024" at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the capital's Agargaon area.
 
Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), the country's apex body of tour operators, organized the 03-day fair with the association of civil aviation and tourism ministry, Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Bangladesh Tourist Police and Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB).
 
Civil aviation and tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain, FBCCI President Md. Mahbub Alam, Vietnam, Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh, respectively Nguyn Manh Cuong and Ghanshyam Bhandari ATJFB president and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) special correspondent Md Tanzim Anwar, among others, spoke at the event with TOAB president Shiblul Azam Koreshi in the chair.

 
Pointing out that globally, the tourism and leisure industry significantly contributes towards many countries' GDP and development, Khan said Bangladesh should also focus on developing its tourism sector to achieve similar benefits.
 
"Tourists from around the globe need to be informed about our country's major sightseeing spots, and we need innovative advertisement ideas to attract more visitors here," he said.
 
Khan said, "Here in Bangladesh we have no security threats".
"The policies of the current government are tourism-friendly and we will ensure all types of facilities to stakeholders of the private tourism sector, the minister said.
 
The minister said he would discuss with the private stakeholders to know their requirements for the development of the tourism sector along with the provision of on-arrival visas for the intending foreign tourists to Bangladesh.
 
National and international tourism organizations, domestic and foreign tour operators, travel agents, tourism authorities, airlines, hotels, resorts, amusement parks, and transport companies from 8 countries, including India, Nepal, the Maldives, Singapore, Vietnam, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and host Bangladesh will be displaying their services at 12 pavilions and 150 stalls.
 
Business-to-business sessions (B2B), seminars, round table discussions, country presentations, cultural programmes, and raffle draws will take place on the fair's sideline.  The fair will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm every day.