Bangladesh Tourism Awards 2026 in 12 categories

The Bangladesh Tourism Board has taken an initiative to introduce the Bangladesh Tourism Awards 2026 in 12 categories to recognise excellence, innovation and responsible practices in the country’s tourism industry.

The awards will be presented on World Tourism Day on 27 September as part of efforts to promote sustainable tourism, improve service standards, encourage digital transformation and support local communities, women and young entrepreneurs.

According to a notification from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the awards aim to provide national recognition to individuals, organisations, entrepreneurs and tourism initiatives that have demonstrated excellence, responsibility and innovation in this industry.

The 12 award categories are Best Sustainable Tourism Initiative, Best Hotel/Resort, Best Tour Operator, Best Amusement Park, Best Young Tourism Entrepreneur and Best Homestay.

The remaining categories are Best Tourism Content Creator, Best Tourism Technology Initiative, Best Women Tourism Entrepreneur, Best Tourist Vessel, Best Tour Guide and Best MICE Initiative.

The nomination process began on 26 August and will continue until 9 September. Individuals, organisations and local communities involved in the tourism industry can submit nominations using the prescribed form of the Bangladesh Tourism Board. A participant can nominate only one candidate in a single category.

Nominations can also be submitted by scanning the QR code provided in the notification.

Applicants are required to submit the completed nomination form along with a passport-size photograph and, where applicable, an updated trade licence, TIN certificate, tax payment certificate and National Identity Card. Companies and organisations must also submit their latest two-year audit reports.

Depending on the category, applicants may also be required to provide legal documents such as registration certificates, licences, fire safety licences, environmental clearances and ISO certificates. Photographs or videos of the nominated organisation or initiative may also be submitted.

The authorities said nominations would not be considered if there were proven allegations of serious legal violations, fraud, harassment of tourists, safety breaches, loan default, tax evasion or environmental offences.

Except for the young tourism entrepreneur and tourism content creator categories, businesses or initiatives must have been operating for at least two years. The nominated initiative must also be operational at the time of submission.
Category-based jury boards will be formed to scrutinise the nominations. Winners will be selected based on evaluation criteria and scoring determined by the respective jury boards.

The jury boards may conduct field visits and investigations into nominated initiatives or organisations if necessary. Interviews and documentaries may also be produced on the selected winners.

One award will be given in each category. The same individual or organisation will not normally be considered for awards in multiple categories, although this condition may be relaxed for the Sustainable Tourism Initiative and Tourism Technology Initiative categories.

The awards ceremony will be held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on 27 September, marking World Tourism Day.

The Bangladesh Tourism Board said the initiative is intended to encourage higher standards, innovation and responsible practices while contributing to the long-term development of Bangladesh's tourism industry.