Crowne Plaza by IHG Dhaka Airport has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to become the Platinum Partner of the 13th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF Dhaka) 2026, scheduled to be held in Dhaka from September 17 to 19.

The agreement was signed on September 3 by Ashwani Nayar, Area General Manager of IHG South West Asia and Cluster General Manager of Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport and InterContinental Dhaka Airport, and Mohiuddin Helal, Editor of Parjatan Bichitra and Chairman of the Asian Tourism Fair.

Under the partnership, Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport will participate in the three-day tourism exhibition as Platinum Partner and provide hospitality support for the Bangladesh Tourism Night & Award, which is scheduled to be held at the hotel.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Nazrul Islam, Director of Sales and Marketing at Crowne Plaza Dhaka Airport; Borhan Uddin, Fair Director; Salahuddin Aton, Director of Marketing and Development; Mahbub Islam Bulu, President of TGAB; Mehdi Amin Chowdhury, Managing Director of Convoy Group; and Tanvir Ahmed, former Vice President of TOAB, among others.

Organised by Parjatan Bichitra, the 13th Asian Tourism Fair 2026 will be held at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) with the approval and overall support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

The fair will remain open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on September 17, September 18 and September 19.

According to the organisers, more than 300 booths will feature tourism organisations, hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agencies, national tourism organisations, investors and other tourism-related businesses from Bangladesh and abroad.

Thailand, the Philippines and the Maldives will participate as partner countries, while Malaysia, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are among the countries expected to take part as feature countries and international exhibitors.

The programme will include business-to-business networking sessions, seminars, group discussions, cultural programmes, tourism-related discussions and a raffle draw.

Mohiuddin Helal said the organisers planned to turn this year's event into a larger gathering for the tourism industry as part of activities surrounding World Tourism Day 2026.

He said tourism organisations from Bangladesh and abroad would offer holiday packages, discounts and other promotional offers, particularly targeting travellers planning trips during the upcoming winter season.

Helal also called for cooperation from media organisations in promoting Bangladesh's tourism destinations and supporting the event.

The Asian Tourism Fair has traditionally brought together hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, tourism organisations, investors, training institutions and other industry stakeholders.

The organisers said this year's event aims to promote Bangladesh's tourism destinations, encourage investment and strengthen links between domestic and international tourism businesses.