Salahuddin Sumon named Tourism Content Creator of the Year

Popular travel vlogger and content creator Abu Mohammad Salah Uddin, widely known as Salahuddin Sumon, has received the Bangladesh Tourism Award 2026 in recognition of his contribution to the country’s tourism sector.

The Bangladesh Tourism Board selected him as the Tourism Content Creator of the Year.

The award was handed over at a ceremony at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Saturday afternoon.

Salahuddin Sumon has earned praise at home and abroad for creating videos from remote destinations around the world, including Antarctica, the Amazon and the Arctic, as well as highlighting Bangladesh’s history, heritage sites, lesser-known landscapes and rural life.

Speaking as the chief guest, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said the government was ready to work with private-sector stakeholders under public-private partnership (PPP) and leasing models to develop the country’s 1,498 tourism spots.

He urged stakeholders to come forward with proposals for PPP projects and leasing arrangements, saying such initiatives would contribute to tourism development while also benefiting the government.

In his welcome address, Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Barrister Mutasim Billah Faruqi said the board was working to take the country’s tourism sector to new heights and showcase its culture and natural beauty to the world.

He said the Bangladesh Tourism Award 2026 aimed to recognise and encourage entrepreneurs, innovators and content creators in the sector.

Greetings were also conveyed through video messages by UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Nasser Al Nuwais and Pacific Asia Travel Association Chief Executive Officer Noor Ahmed Hamid.

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman, the chief of Tourist Police and other senior officials involved in the travel and tourism sector also spoke at the event.

The event was chaired by Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akter.

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Remarkable Journey of Salahuddin Sumon as a Travel Content Creator

Expressing his feelings after receiving the award, Salahuddin Sumon said recognition from the Bangladesh Tourism Board, a state tourism authority, was a matter of joy and pride for a content creator.

On Bangladesh’s tourism potential, he said the country’s popular tourist destinations were limited to a handful of places such as Saint Martin’s Island, Cox’s Bazar and Sajek Valley, while mismanagement was reducing foreign tourists’ interest in some of these destinations.

He said rural Bangladesh could bring about a “revolutionary change” in the country’s tourism sector if its beauty was presented to the world through proper planning.

Sumon expressed hope that the Tourism Board’s initiative would go beyond an award ceremony and lead to effective measures to showcase Bangladesh on the global tourism stage.

The awards were presented to recognise contributions to sustainable development, service quality, innovation, digital transformation, local community participation, and the preservation of the environment and cultural heritage on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2026.

Following scrutiny by a jury board comprising representatives from public and private stakeholders, awards were presented in 16 categories to individuals, organisations and initiatives of the year.

Among other winners, Shakawath’s Six Control Point for Food Cost was recognised as the Tourism Sustainability Initiative of the Year, while InterContinental Dhaka received the award for Five-Star Hotel of the Year. Journalist Naeem Ul Islam was also recognised for his contribution to tourism journalism.