Luxury hotel owners in Bangladesh said they were optimistic about enhancing tourism collaboration with Indonesia, following a meeting with Indonesian Ambassador Heru H Subolo today (22 September).
“As a brotherly Muslim nation, Indonesia holds significant tourism potential for us. We aim to attract more Indonesian tourists to our beautiful destinations, including Cox’s Bazar, the Sundarbans, and the Sixty Dome Mosque,” HM Hakim Ali, president of the Bangladesh International Hotel Association (BIHA), told TBS after the meeting with the ambassador at Hotel Agrabad in Chattogram.
The ambassador extended an invitation to the 39th Trade Expo in Jakarta on 7 October, which is expected to bolster tourism cooperation, as Indonesia is also a well-known tourist destination.
The discussion also highlighted the need to improve tourism infrastructure, facilitate knowledge sharing, and explore potential collaborations between the two nations, read a press release.
This meeting represents a meaningful step towards strengthening bilateral ties in the tourism sector.
Notable attendees included Major (Retd.) Emdadul Islam, Shareholder Director of Chittagong Stock Exchange PLC.
To further enhance people-to-people connections, Bangladesh and Indonesia are considering direct air connectivity. This topic was recently discussed in a meeting between Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain and the Indonesian envoy in Dhaka.
In March 2021, Bangladesh introduced a “Free Visit Visa” policy for Indonesian nationals based on the principle of reciprocity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has communicated this initiative to all Bangladeshi missions and consulates abroad, anticipating that it will strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in the tourism sector.
