The 13th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF) will be held at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), a large event venue near the 300 Feet Road in the capital.
The fair will run from 10am to 7pm each day and bring together tourism businesses and organisations from Bangladesh and abroad.
The event is expected to create new opportunities for business networking, tourism promotion and investment in Bangladesh’s tourism sector.
More than 200 organisations from Bangladesh and nine other countries are expected to participate in the fair. They will showcase their tourism products and services through around 300 booths across three halls at ICCB.
Hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, government and private tourism organisations, foreign embassies and missions will take part in the event.
Tourism and investment showcase
The fair will feature several special programmes, including the Destination Bangladesh Showcase, International Tourism Showcase and Bangladesh Tourism Investment Showcase.
The organisers will also hold business to business sessions, seminars, destination presentations, panel discussions, product promotions and networking programmes.
Cultural performances from Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines will be held every evening.
Mohiuddin Helal, editor of Parjatan Bichitra and chairman of the Asian Tourism Fair, said the 2026 edition would help strengthen business links among local and international tourism stakeholders.
He said the fair would also promote tourism products and create new opportunities for investment in Bangladesh.
The event has been approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and is being organised with support and participation from Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and the Bangladesh Tourism Board.
Mohammad Shamimuzzaman, chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, said international tourism fairs were important for developing the country’s tourism industry.
He said coordinated participation by the public and private sectors could help promote Bangladesh’s tourism potential and investment opportunities both at home and abroad.
Representatives from Thailand, the Philippines, Maldives and Malaysia, along with sponsors, partners and tourism industry organisations, attended a press conference at Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan on Monday to announce details of the fair.
ICCB provides large scale event facilities
The choice of ICCB as the venue reflects the scale of the event.
The convention centre has several halls, open spaces, restaurants, a mosque and large parking facilities. It regularly hosts international fairs, corporate events, trade exhibitions, seminars, conferences, concerts and social and cultural programmes.
The venue’s Expo Zone can accommodate large scale events involving up to around 15,000 people, according to information provided by the organisers.
Other halls offer different capacities. Hall 1 can accommodate around 1,400 people, while Halls 2 and 3 can each accommodate around 1,600. Hall 4 has a capacity of around 3,200 people and Hall 5 around 600.
The venue also offers parking for a large number of vehicles, which can be an important consideration for major public events.
Its facilities allow visitors to access exhibition spaces, food services, prayer facilities and event areas within the same complex.
Growing role as an event destination
ICCB has increasingly become a venue for large public and private events in Dhaka.
Its multiple halls and open spaces allow organisers to hold different programmes simultaneously. The venue has also hosted trade fairs, corporate programmes, cultural events and theme based exhibitions.
Its regular use for different types of events highlights the growing demand for large, modern event spaces in the capital.
The Asian Tourism Fair will bring together tourism businesses, airlines, hotels, resorts, tour operators, government agencies and international representatives under one roof.
Beyond displaying tourism products, the three day event is expected to serve as a platform for business connections, investment discussions, destination promotion and cultural exchange.
With international participants gathering in Dhaka from September 17, the 13th Asian Tourism Fair could provide a fresh platform for Bangladesh to showcase its tourism potential and attract new business and investment opportunities.
