DHAKA: A three-day Bangladesh International Tourism Fair-2015 will kick off in city Thursday with a target to earn 15 million USD from the event.

Officials concerned of Bangladesh Foundation for Tourism Development (BFTD) informed it in a press conference at Pan Pacific Sonarganon hotel in city on Tuesday.

The organizers said civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon will inaugurate the exposition, fifth of its kind, at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.

In reply to a query, officials said despite the political unrest, last year's fair had earned about 8 million dollars. Now, they hope to double the earnings.

If all goes well the earnings will be 15 million dollars, the organizers hoped.

They also informed the media that they are working to strengthen tourism among the nations of SAARC countries.

The organization has been working for ‘regional tourism’. SAARC secretary is assisting the organizers in this regard, the officials added.

They said that tour operators, travel agents, airlines, hospitals, flying clubs, air express companies, cruise operators, hotels, motels, resorts, spa, guest houses and service apartments, national and regional tourist organizations, clinics, handicrafts, souvenir, transport and car rental companies, shops of travel accessories, tourism publications and filmmakers, among others, will participate at the event.

The International Tourism Fair will be organized ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr so that visitors can travel around the country and abroad with lower cost, they added.

Some 12 countries including Malaysia, Cambodia and SAARC member states will participated in the fair where a total of 160 stalls will be setup.

BFTD chairman HM Hakim Ali, BITF executive director Rezaul Ekram Razu, Tour Operators’ Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) president Professor Dir Akber Uddin Ahmed, Hotel Sonargaon general manager Eldridge J Mac Ewan III and MCTB president Syed Iqtiaq Reza, among others, were present at the press conference.

BDST: 1357 HRS, MAY 19, 2015
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