BRAC, ShareTrip sign MoU to promote community-based tourism initiative ‘Otithi’

‘Otithi’ is a tourism initiative that promotes sustainable travel by showcasing people, history, culture, and natural beauty

BRAC and travel tech and lifestyle company ShareTrip have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, or MoU, to promote ‘Otithi’, a community-based tourism initiative.

The agreement aims to promote Otithi to travellers from home and abroad, ShareTrip said in a statement on Wednesday.

The MoU was signed by KAM Morshed, senior director of BRAC, and a ShareTrip official on behalf of Sadia Haque, co-founder and chief executive officer of the company, at the BRAC Centre in Dhaka’s Mohakhali on Monday.

Otithi is a community-based tourism initiative by BRAC that promotes sustainable travel by showcasing people, history, culture, and natural beauty, the statement read.

It further added that the initiative seeks to transform Bangladesh's tourism landscape by ensuring that travel directly benefits local communities, empowering them through economic growth and cultural preservation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Morshed emphasised BRAC’s vision to scale community-based tourism across the country.

He noted that while BRAC regularly hosts hundreds of donors and development practitioners keen to learn about its work, the organisation would benefit from ShareTrip’s expertise in the tourism industry.

“Through our partnership with BRAC and ‘Otithi’, we aim to showcase the beauty and diversity of Bangladesh while ensuring local communities are at the heart of tourism," said ShareTrip spokesperson Mofassal Aziz.

"This collaboration reflects our commitment to creating authentic and enriching travel experiences for both local and international tourists while establishing Bangladesh as a prominent destination for global tourism.”