Aviation and tourism journalist Naim Abir has received the “Bangladesh Tourism Award 2026” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to tourism journalism.

He was honoured in the “Best Tourism Journalism” category for his consistent, research-based and informative reporting on the prospects, challenges, policies and development of Bangladesh’s tourism industry.

The Bangladesh Tourism Board introduced the awards for the first time to recognise individuals, organisations and initiatives making significant contributions to the sustainable development of the country’s tourism sector, improvement of service quality, innovation, digital transformation, local community participation and promotion of tourism entrepreneurship.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat presented the award to Naim Abir at a ceremony held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on Saturday.

Abir has been covering Bangladesh’s tourism, aviation, hotel and resort, migration and travel sectors for several years. His reports have highlighted the potential of the tourism industry while also bringing attention to infrastructural limitations, policy challenges, difficulties faced by passengers and tourists, and the views of relevant stakeholders.

Currently serving as a staff reporter at Star News, Abir covers international relations and economic affairs in addition to tourism and aviation. He is also the founder and chief executive officer of travel-focused digital media platform “Check In” and a member of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB).

Reacting to the recognition, Abir said, “Receiving state recognition in a specialised field like tourism journalism is a matter of great joy and pride for me. This award will inspire me to pursue more responsible, in-depth and fact-based journalism in the future.”

The “Bangladesh Tourism Award 2026”, organised by the Bangladesh Tourism Board, recognises individuals, institutions, entrepreneurs and organisations for their contributions across different areas of the tourism industry.

The awards cover 13 categories, including tourism entrepreneur, tour operator, hotel, amusement park, young tourism entrepreneur, travel content creator, women tourism entrepreneur, tour guide, MICE initiative and best tourism journalism.