A delegation from the Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA) paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Mr. Dharmapala Weerakkody, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Dhaka.

The meeting was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere, focusing on strengthening tourism cooperation between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and exploring new opportunities for bilateral tourism development.

The BOTOA delegation was led by:

• Mr. Syed Ghulam Mohammed, President.

• Mr. AKM Kamruzzaman, Vice President.

• Mr. Md. Shariful Islam Sharif, General Secretary. 

• Mr. Nafees Ahsan Chowdhury, Finance Director.

Also present during the meeting was Ms. Gayanga Dias, Second Secretary of the High Commission of Sri Lanka.

During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on several important areas of tourism collaboration, including:

• Bangladesh–Sri Lanka tourism development

• Tourism promotion and destination marketing

• Visa facilitation for Bangladeshi travelers

• MICE tourism opportunities

• Wellness and medical tourism

• Familiarization (FAM) tours for travel trade and media

• Strengthening B2B tourism partnerships

The BOTOA delegation highlighted the growing interest of Bangladeshi travelers in Sri Lanka as a preferred short-haul destination and discussed the potential for increased cooperation between tourism stakeholders of both countries.

BOTOA also shared its vision regarding BTM 2026 and expressed its interest in stronger engagement with Sri Lankan tourism authorities, airlines, hotels, DMCs, and other industry stakeholders.

Both parties expressed optimism about enhancing tourism relations and creating more opportunities for mutual growth in the tourism sector between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.