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Discounts aplenty at travel mart

Star Business Report
A three-day international tourism fair got off to a flying start in Dhaka yesterday as travel lovers rushed to book tickets to avail themselves of discounts being offered by local airlines.
Executives of almost all local airlines were found busy attending customers as visitors flocked to "Novoair Dhaka Travel Mart 2019" at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel to buy tickets in advance.
The local airlines are offering discounts of up to 25 percent on international and domestic routes to boost sales.
"We have received huge response on the first day of the fair," said an executive of a local airline.
National carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines has come up with discounts of 10 to 25 percent on ticket prices for destinations to Kolkata, Kathmandu, Yangon, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Regent Airways is offering 12 percent, US-Bangla Airlines up to 20 percent and Novoair 15 percent.
Customers will only avail the discounts if they book tickets during the fair.
Travel fortnightly Bangladesh Monitor has organised the 16 th edition of the show.
Both foreign and domestic tourism agencies came up with packages at the fair targeting domestic and foreign tourists. Md Mahbub Ali, state minister for civil aviation and tourism, who inaugurated the fair, said, "Our natural beauty and climate are much more favourable for tourism, but we need to publicise our attractions to draw tourists."
Lack of adequate infrastructure is the major challenge facing the tourism sector, said M Mofizur Rahman, managing director ofNovoair.
"The economy is growing fast but the infrastructure sector is not developing at the same pace to give convenience to tourists.”
He said the private sector was trying their best to develop the tourism sector. "The
government's attention is also needed."
Though, the number of tourists has increased rapidly, domestic tourists still account for 98 percent of the total tourists, said Bhuban Chandra Biswas, chief executive officer of Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB).
"We will have to create a platform to attract foreign tourists presenting Bangladesh as a tourist destination," he said.
Nepal joined the fair as a partner country. Forty-one tourism organisations from seven countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are taking part. The fair is supported by Novoair while the BTB, Biman and Mutual Trust Bank are the partners.