The High Commission of Sri Lanka to Bangladesh has held a meeting with the members of Board of Directors of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) recently.

The meeting was held on 4 September on the high commission premises in the capital.

Addressing the meeting, TOAB President Md Rafeuzzaman said currently, TOAB has 751 active members, most of whom are outbound tour operators.

He said Bangladeshi tour operators have a special focus on Sri Lanka, given the strong cultural and historical ties between the two countries.

TOAB, established in 1992, is the largest trade body in Bangladesh representing the tourism sector. The association was recognised as a trade organisation by the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh in 2002.

During the meeting, High Commissioner Dharmapala Weerakkody termed Bangladesh as a key market for the Sri Lankan tourism industry.

According to 2023 statistics, a total of 17,846 Bangladeshi travellers visited Sri Lanka, marking the highest number of arrivals from Bangladesh in the past decade, he added.

The high commissioner predicted that by the end of 2024, the number of Bangladeshi tourists visiting Sri Lanka could exceed 30,000.

He further noted that this growth has been facilitated by regular flights operated between Colombo and Dhaka by Sri Lankan Airlines and the recently launched FitsAir.

Moreover, the high commissioner emphasised the potential for promoting two-way tourism between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka by capitalising on the close cultural linkages and people-to-people contacts.

During the discussion, both the high commission and TOAB agreed to explore the possibility of jointly organising Sri Lanka Tourism Promotional Roadshows in Bangladesh.

Discussion also included the importance of Sri Lanka’s active participation in the Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BTTF), scheduled to be held in October 2025.