On September 4, 2024, at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Dhaka, the Board of Directors of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) met with Dharmapala Weerakkody, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Dhaka, marking a significant step towards improving tourism cooperation between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The meeting was inaugurated by TOAB President Md. Rafeuzzaman, who emphasized the organization’s function as the main trade association for Bangladesh’s tourist industry. TOAB was founded in 1992 and received formal Ministry of Commerce recognition in 2002. Presently, the organization boasts 751 active members, the majority of which are engaged in outbound tourism. He pointed out that the association has a particular interest in Sri Lanka because of the two nations’ close historical and cultural ties.
High Commissioner Weerakkody emphasized Bangladesh’s significance as a vital market for Sri Lanka’s travel and tourist industry. He revealed that 17,846 tourists from Bangladesh visited Sri Lanka in 2023, the most in the previous ten years. By the end of 2024, he further said, the number would exceed 30,000 thanks to FitsAir and SriLankan Airlines’ frequent direct service between Colombo and Dhaka.
In addition, the High Commissioner stressed how the two countries’ shared culture and interpersonal relationships should be used to promote two-way travel. Plans to collaborate on organizing Sri Lankan tourism promotional roadshows in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka’s attendance at the Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BTTF) in October 2025 were among the topics of discussion.
The parties conveyed hope for the future of tourism collaboration between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with the goal of enhancing bilateral connections and offering tourists new experiences.