Dhaka : The 'Travel Influencer Awards 2023' initiated by the country's first 360-degree one-stop travel service provider 'Ovigo for the travel content creator and tourism and hospitality industry's best service providers launched in Bangladesh for the first time.

This recognition will acknowledge individuals and organizations for their special contributions to the travel and tourism industry as part of promoting Bangladesh's tourism possibilities. The awards were announced during a ceremony held on the occasion of World Tourism Day at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center on Wednesday.

Present at the event was Mr. Mokammel Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Also, Mr. Rahat Anwar, Chairman of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, Mr. Abu Taher Mohammad Jaber, CEO of Bangladesh Tourism Board, Mahmud H Khan, the founder and CEO of Ovigo, and Zubair Rahman Chowdhury, Chairman & Managing Director of e365 Ventures were attendants there.

The organizers explained that a total of 60 awards will be presented each year to individuals and organizations in five major categories for their outstanding contributions to the promotion and services of the tourism industry in Bangladesh.

Among these, 21 awards will be directly selected through public voting for content creators related to the travel industry. In addition, 39 awards will be given for various services and innovations based on the recommendation of the jury board.

The official award ceremony for the winners and nominees will take place in December, with the nomination process set to begin on October 16, as announced by the organizers.

Mr. Mahmud H Khan, the founder and CEO of Ovigo, emphasized that 'Ovigo' is working towards smart tourism in alignment with the government's Smart Bangladesh vision. They aim to promote tourism development in the country and uplift the people involved in the tourism sector, including innovators, content creators, and travelers, through these annual awards.

Zubair Rahman Chowdhury, Chairman & Managing Director of 'e365 Ventures,' highlighted that these awards are a unique initiative in Bangladesh for individuals and organizations involved in the tourism industry.

It's worth noting that the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has recognized and partnered with this award program. Partners also include the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICT Division) and the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, Aimex Digital Ltd, NexKraft, TradeVenture, and BabyTube are among the partners for the event.

while the event and logistic partners are 'e365 Ventures' and Media partners include 'Daily Jugantor,' 'The Business Standard,' and the online news portal 'Dhaka Post, daily Women Bangladesh, Sarabelar Sangbad & daily Dhaka Press .