Boosting Tourism in Bangladesh: Affordable Air Ticket Pricing and ATAB's Role

Abdus Salam Aref, the President of the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), emphasized the government's crucial role in ensuring affordable air ticket pricing to boost the country's tourism industry. Founded in 1974, ATAB has around 4,500 members nationwide, playing a significant role in the aviation industry and civil aviation. The organization established the ATAB Tourism Training Institute (ATTI) to create skilled workers for the travel and tourism industry.

Key Takeaways:

• ATAB has around 4,500 members nationwide, making it a key stakeholder in civil aviation and tourism.
• The organization aims to provide the highest level of service for travelers and tourists, focusing on affordable air ticket pricing.
• ATAB has been working to dismantle ticket syndicates, which can lead to significant financial losses and harm public interest.
• The government issued a circular on February 11 to reduce airfares, ensuring airline fares remain within people's purchasing power.
• The new directive has helped curb manipulation in ticket pricing, reducing it by approximately 40 to 50 percent.
• Monitoring and regularly reviewing airline operations, including foreign carriers, is crucial to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

Statistics:

• ATAB sells around BDT 40,000 crore in tickets annually, making any irregularities significant.
• The number of tickets pre-booked without names or passport copies has reduced due to the new directive.
• Manipulation in ticket pricing has been reduced by approximately 40 to 50 percent.
• Biman Bangladesh airlines should expand their capacity and fleet, especially increasing flight frequencies on Middle Eastern routes.

Sources:

• The New Nation (no date mentioned)
• Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) website (no date mentioned)
• Bangladesh government website (no date mentioned)
• Local newspapers and media outlets (unknown dates mentioned)