Bangladesh Tourism Board

What Bangladesh Tourism Board does

Bangladesh Tourism Board (বাংলাদেশ ট্যুরিজম বোর্ড) is the statutory national tourism organisation of Bangladesh, established in 2010 under the Bangladesh Tourism Board Act 2010 and operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Its mandate spans four functional areas: (1) regulation of the tourism industry through registration and certification of tour operators and tour guides under the 2021 Act and the 2024 implementing Rules; (2) destination promotion of Bangladesh domestically and internationally, including participation in UN Tourism, PATA, SAARC, OIC, and ACD frameworks; (3) facilitation services for tourists — visa assistance, security coordination with Tourist Police, familiarisation trips for foreign diplomats and journalists, and grievance redressal; and (4) tourism human-capital and community development through training programmes, a Tourism Media Fellowship, and Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Guidelines 2025. Governance is delivered through its Dhaka headquarters at Paryatan Bhaban and a nationwide network of 64 District Tourism Development Committees.

The Board's technology footprint is modest and oriented toward e-governance rather than commercial product: a BTB Registration Portal (btbregistration.gov.bd) for tour operator and tour guide licensing, a GIS-based Tourism Map (gis.beautifulbangladesh.gov.bd), an online training registration system, a dedicated CBT portal, and a Tourism Data Inventory covering 2010–2025. All citizen-facing services are delivered free of charge per the Citizen Charter, with documented processing times ranging from 5 working days (visa assistance, tourist security) to 120 working days (media fellowship, familiarisation trips).

The business model is government budget allocation only — no commercial revenue, no paid pricing tiers, and no external investors. The organisation is fully state-funded and governed, headed by a Chairman (who concurrently serves as Secretary of the parent Ministry) and a CEO holding Additional Charge as Additional Secretary. Strategic priorities in the 2024–2026 period include a sports tourism partnership with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, a Tourism Master Plan rollout, SDG-aligned reporting, and Blue Economy / maritime tourism development.

Name

Bangladesh Tourism Board

Legal name

Bangladesh Tourism Board

Website

https://tourismboard.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Bangladesh Tourism Board is the statutory national tourism organisation of Bangladesh, regulating tour operators and guides, promoting the country internationally, and delivering free services such as visa assistance, training, and certification through its Dhaka headquarters and 64 district committees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Tourism Administration

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community-Based & Indigenous Tourism Enablement (Local Ownership, Benefit-Sharing) (THAAANAI)

Keywords

• National tourism organization
• Destination marketing services
• Tourism industry regulation
• Travel promotion services
• Tourism workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: Funded through annual government budget allocations from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. No commercial revenue generation as a regulatory and promotional body.
2. Tourism Industry Regulation Services: Registration and certification services for tour operators and tour guides, provided free of charge as per citizen charter commitments.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bangladesh Tourism Board is the national tourism organization of Bangladesh operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. It functions as a regulatory and promotional body, providing tour operator and tour guide registration, tourism workforce training, promotional materials, visa facilitation, tourist security assistance, familiarization visits, and destination marketing for Bangladesh. All citizen services are provided free of charge under the Citizen Charter.

Product overview

Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) is the national tourism organization of Bangladesh operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. It functions as a regulatory and promotional body rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of tourism services including tour operator and tour guide registration, tourism accommodation and transportation information, visa assistance, security support for foreign tourists, training programs for tourism industry personnel, promotional materials distribution, community-based tourism development, and tourism media fellowship programs. The board also publishes tourism publications, maintains tourism data inventories, and implements the national tourism master plan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tour Operator Registration Registration and listing service for authorized tour operators in Bangladesh, administered under the Bangladesh Tour Operator (Registration and Management) Rules, 2024. Provided free of charge with 30 working days processing time.
• Tour Guide Registration Registration and listing service for certified tour guides in Bangladesh, administered under the Bangladesh Tour Guide (Registration and Management) Rules, 2024. Provided free of charge with 30 working days processing time.
• Tourist Visa Assistance
• Tourism Personnel Training Training programs for tourism industry personnel covering hospitality, gastronomy tourism, strategic planning, and marketing strategies. Free of charge on annual plan basis.
• Promotional Materials Distribution Distribution of promotional materials including brochures, posters, flyers, digital tourism guides, and maps featuring Bangladesh's tourist destinations. Free of charge, subject to availability.
• Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Development Development and training programs for community-based tourism initiatives in rural areas, following the Community-Based Tourism Guidelines 2025.
• Familiarization Visits Familiarization trips for foreign diplomats, international tour operators, and foreign journalists to showcase Bangladesh's attractions. Free of charge with 120 working days processing.
• Tourism Media Fellowship Annual fellowship program for media professionals to create tourism-related content and documentaries. Free of charge with 120 working days processing.
• Tourist Security Assistance Security assistance coordination for foreign tourists in Bangladesh through liaison with tourist police. Free of charge with 5 working days.
• Travel Packages Information Structured travel packages showcasing Bangladesh's tourist destinations including Sundarbans, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet, and heritage sites.
• Tourism GIS Map GIS-based tourism mapping service showing tourist attractions and locations across Bangladesh.
• Tourism Event Sponsorship Financial support and sponsorship for tourism industry promotional events and festivals in Bangladesh.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive regulatory framework operational
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• Bangladesh Cricket BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Sports tourism partnership signed in December 2024 to promote Bangladesh through cricket tourism initiatives and joint promotional activities.
• UN Tourism (UNWTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational tourism organization membership enabling Bangladesh to participate in global tourism development initiatives, standards, and promotional campaigns.
• PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism association membership for Asia-Pacific market development, networking, and tourism promotion.
• SAARCregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation tourism development initiatives and regional tourism promotion.
• OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerIslamic tourism cooperation within OIC member states for halal tourism development.
• ACD (Asia Cooperation Dialogue)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian intergovernmental platform for tourism cooperation among Asian countries.
• COMSECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOIC statistical and economic research center providing tourism data and research support.
• SESRICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatistical and research center for OIC member countries supporting tourism data development.
• Bangladesh Parjatan CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational tourism corporation for hospitality and tourism infrastructure development in Bangladesh.
• Tourist Police BangladeshcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw enforcement unit providing safety and security services to tourists visiting Bangladesh.
• TOAB (Tourism Operators Association of Bangladesh)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate sector association of tour operators working with the Board for industry development and promotion.
• BAAPA (Bangladesh Association of Travel Agents)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel agent association for distribution and promotion of tourism services in Bangladesh.
• Ministry of Civil Aviation and TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry providing policy direction, budget allocation, and administrative oversight to the Tourism Board.
• BITH (Bangladesh Institute of Tourism and Hospitality)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution for tourism and hospitality human capital development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Philippines Department of Tourism: National tourism authority of the Philippines handling promotion, regulation, and international partnerships. Comparable in PATA membership, Asia-Pacific destination marketing mandate, and national tourism organization structure.
• Korea Tourism Organization (KTO): South Korea's national tourism organization under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Comparable destination marketing organization with strong international branding and digital tourism platform capabilities.
• Tourism Malaysia: Malaysia's national tourism promotion agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Comparable in scale of international marketing, halal tourism development (relevant given Bangladesh's OIC membership), and Asia-Pacific regional engagement through PATA.
• Tourism Authority of Thailand: Thailand's national tourism organization responsible for destination marketing, tourism regulation, and industry development. Direct functional peer to Bangladesh Tourism Board as a national tourism authority, with similar scope over regulatory and promotional functions in a regional Asian market.
• Ministry of Tourism, India (Incredible India): India's national tourism authority responsible for destination promotion, tourism policy, and international marketing under the Incredible India brand. Regional competitor and functional peer in regulatory and promotional tourism scope.

Direct peers

• Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority: Statutory national tourism body of Sri Lanka performing regulatory and promotional functions for South Asian tourism. Closest peer in terms of geography, regional competition, and statutory authority scope.
• Nepal Tourism Board: South Asian national tourism organization under Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Operates destination promotion, tourism regulation, and international partnerships analogous to Bangladesh Tourism Board's mandate.

Emerging players

• Saudi Tourism Authority: National tourism body of Saudi Arabia leading aggressive destination marketing and tourism sector transformation. Comparable as a national tourism organization pursuing ambitious tourism growth targets, though operating in a different geographic and economic context.

Regional players

• Department of Tourism, Philippines (Visit Bhutan equivalent) - Bhutan Tourism Council: Bhutan's national tourism body responsible for high-value, low-volume tourism strategy. Comparable as a South Asian/South-East Asian national tourism organization with regulatory and promotional mandate, though operating a premium positioning model.
• Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: Vietnam's national tourism authority under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Comparable destination promotion and regulatory mandate in Southeast Asia, serving as a regional competitor for South Asian tourism flows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ceo_bdtourism
• Facebookfacebook.com/btbnto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beautifulbangladesh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bangladesh Tourism Board