The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh Dharmapala Weerakkody had a productive meeting with the members of the executive committee of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists' Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) on 14 July, 2024 at the High Commission in Dhaka.
At the outset, the President of ATJFB Tanzim Anwar said that the Forum which was is established in 2002, serves as the sole platform for aviation and tourism reporters in the country. Currently, it has over 40 members from both print and online media. The Forum's main focus is to provide extensive coverage for inbound and outbound tourism through the publication of articles and broadcasting of programs through electronic media in Bangladesh. President Tanzim Anwar said that, ATJFB has a special focus on Sri Lanka as a tourism -driven economy and therefore, is keen to enhance cooperation with Sri Lanka to promote the country as a most sought after tourism destination among Bangladeshis.
During the discussion, High Commissioner Weerakkody observed that Bangladesh is a significant market for Sri Lanka's tourism industry, especially for promoting leisure and MICE tourism.
According to the statistics in 2023, a total of 17,846 Bangladeshi travelers had visited Sri Lanka, recording the highest number of arrivals from Bangladesh in the past 10 years. During the first six months of 2024, 15,632 Bangladeshi travelers visited Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner predicted that by the end of 2024, the number of Bangladeshi tourists visiting Sri Lanka would exceed 30,000. The High Commissioner highlighted that this trend clearly shows that Bangladesh is emerging as one of the significant tourism source markets for Sri Lanka. He stated that the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Dhaka is willing to collaborate with ATJFB to promote Sri Lanka among Bangladeshi travelers.
The officials of the High Commission of Sri Lanka and the members of the executive committee of the Aviation ATJFB agreed to jointly organise several programs to enhance collaboration in the tourism sector, benefiting both countries.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
Dhaka
18 July 2024
