Tour operators will now be able to sell foreign travel packages in Bangladeshi Taka to resident Bangladeshi citizens, under new directives issued by Bangladesh Bank.
The central bank issued a circular on Sunday permitting members of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) to collect package fees in local currency and remit the equivalent foreign currency to service providers abroad.
Under the guidelines, TOAB members who have formal agreements or commercial understandings with foreign tour operators, hotels, or destination management companies will be eligible for this facility.
Authorized Dealer (AD) banks have been permitted to send foreign currency overseas to pay for actual travel-related services, including accommodation and transportation.
Under the new arrangement, up to $3,000 per traveler per calendar year can be remitted outside the regular annual travel quota.
To avail of this facility, tour operators must maintain full transaction records linked to the traveler’s passport number. Additionally, operators must obtain a formal declaration from the traveler confirming that the annual limit has not been exceeded through any other tour operator.
The circular also retains provisions allowing for the remittance of amounts exceeding the $3,000 threshold under specified conditions.
