Zaha Travels took part in the 13th Asian Tourism Fair (ATF) 2026, held from 17 to 19 September at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As part of the Maldives' presence at the event, our team introduced visitors and travel-industry professionals to the range of experiences available across the Maldives, from private island resorts and overwater villas to family holidays, romantic escapes and personalised multi-resort journeys. The three days also gave us a chance to strengthen our connections within the Bangladesh travel market and meet prospective partners from across the wider Asian tourism industry.
Bringing Maldives expertise closer to travellers in Bangladesh
The Maldives is known for turquoise lagoons, white-sand beaches and overwater villas, but choosing the right island takes more than a good photograph. Villa categories, meal plans, transfer methods, house reefs, family facilities, dining choices and distance from Velana International Airport all vary considerably from one resort to the next, and getting that match right matters as much as choosing the destination itself.
At ATF 2026, we made the case for planning with a specialist based in the destination, one who knows these details firsthand rather than from a brochure. With access to more than 100 resort and hotel partners, our team helps travellers compare suitable properties, understand transfer arrangements and choose experiences that fit their preferences, supported by a dedicated travel expert from the first conversation through resort selection, arrival in the Maldives and the completion of the holiday.
Connecting with travellers and tourism partners at ATF 2026
The Asian Tourism Fair brings together tourism boards, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, resorts, airlines and other organisations from across Asia. The 2026 edition combined trade and consumer days, creating a meeting point for both industry professionals and travellers exploring new destinations.
For us, ATF 2026 was a chance to showcase the Maldives directly to that audience and build relationships within an important regional market. Conversations at the stand covered the variety of experiences available across the Maldives, the importance of matching each traveller to the right resort, and our approach to personalised planning, partner resort rates, airport meet-and-greet assistance and ongoing support once a trip is underway. For travel agencies and tour operators, it was also a chance to connect directly with a Maldives-based company offering local destination knowledge and on-the-ground assistance.
Supporting travellers and international travel partners
We work with both individual travellers and international travel partners looking for dependable arrangements in the Maldives. For a traveller, planning starts with understanding the purpose of the trip, preferred villa type, dates, budget, meal-plan needs and the experiences that matter most, before a dedicated expert recommends resorts and builds a personalised plan. For travel agencies and other tourism partners, we provide destination support, resort recommendations and access to partner rates to help them serve clients travelling to the Maldives.
Taking part in international tourism events such as ATF keeps us in direct contact with regional markets and lets us share accurate, practical information about travelling to the Maldives, rather than relying on secondhand or outdated details.
Special thanks to the High Commission of the Republic of Maldives
We extend our sincere thanks to the High Commission of the Republic of Maldives in Dhaka for its support and collaboration in making our participation at ATF 2026 possible. That support helped us present the Maldives and its tourism offering to visitors, travel professionals and prospective partners throughout the fair, and we're grateful for the partnership.
From Dhaka to Russia and Kazakhstan
Our international engagement continues straight after ATF 2026. A Zaha Travels representative will join the "I AM Maldives" CIS Region Roadshow 2026, organised jointly by the National Hotels and Guesthouse Association of Maldives (NHGAM), Visit Maldives Corporation and the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), which is bringing a delegation of 25 Maldivian companies to three cities:
- 21 September 2026 – Moscow, Russia
- 23 September 2026 – St. Petersburg, Russia
- 25 September 2026 – Almaty, Kazakhstan
The roadshow is expected to bring together more than 180 travel-trade professionals across the three stops, another chance to showcase the Maldives, meet industry contacts and build relationships in markets with strong, growing interest in Maldives travel. Moving directly from ATF in Dhaka to the CIS roadshow reflects our ongoing commitment to staying visible in the markets that send travellers to the Maldives, meeting agencies and tour operators directly rather than only online.
Continuing Zaha Travels' international tourism engagement
ATF 2026 and the CIS roadshow build on a longer record of international engagement. Alongside ATF Dhaka, where we also took part in 2024, Zaha Travels has attended events including World Travel Market in London, Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, ITB China, KITF in Almaty, the Riyadh Travel Fair, TTG Rome, MATTA Malaysia and Visit Maldives Week across Saint Petersburg, Moscow and Tyumen. In total, our team has taken part in more than 17 international events across more than 10 countries and over 100 industry meetings, working from our three regional offices in Malé, Colombo and Dubai, the full record is on our About page.
These events help us strengthen relationships across the industry, keep pace with how traveller expectations differ from one market to the next, and introduce the Maldives to both established and emerging source markets. Meeting travellers and travel professionals face to face also gives us the chance to explain, directly, the level of destination knowledge and personal support that a well-planned Maldives holiday needs.
Travel to the Maldives with experts who know the destination
Zaha Travels is a Maldives-based, licensed travel agency (Operating License for Travel Agency, No. MOT.01.RS.TA.25.SC1997, issued by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation) specialising in personalised journeys to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Whether you're planning a honeymoon, a family holiday, a private island escape, or a combination of beach and overwater stays, we build the plan around you rather than a fixed package, and travel agencies or tour operators interested in working with a Maldives-based destination partner are welcome to get in touch too.
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