Desk Report:
On Sunday (May 17, 2026) at 7 pm, the “TOAB International Tourism Award 2026” was held by the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) at Sheraton Dhaka in Banani. Honorable State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat, MP was present as the chief guest at the event.
Speaking as the chief guest, State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said that the government considers tourism not only as an important economic driver, but also as a powerful medium for employment generation, regional development and cultural exchange. To this end, an integrated tourism master plan has been adopted to develop and promote 1,498 tourist attractions in the country, which includes eco-tourism, adventure tourism, religious tourism and cultural and heritage-based tourism.
The State Minister invited proposals from TOAB to bring policy amendments to the development of the country’s tourism sector. He said that although the contribution of the tourism sector to the country’s GDP is currently only 3 percent, the government is working to increase this rate to 8-9 percent in the near future. He also expressed hope to work on the public-private partnership model for the infrastructural development of the tourism sector.
Earlier, the State Minister presented medals of honor to 13 organizations in 13 categories in recognition of their special contribution to the tourism sector at “TITA 2026”.
