**“The Hospitality & Tourism Awards (HATA) 2026**, organized by the **Federation of Hospitality, Tourism & Event Management (FoHTEM)** and powered by **Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel**, was successfully held with great enthusiasm at **Royal University of Dhaka**. The prestigious event celebrated youth excellence, leadership, innovation, and academic achievement in the hospitality and tourism sector.
The program was hosted in collaboration with **Business Genius Bangladesh (BGB)** and the **Department of Business Administration, Royal University of Dhaka**, with support from esteemed partners including Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel, Monno Ceramics, Global Pathway Experts Ltd., Nestlé, Bombay Sweets, Royal University of Dhaka, Debate for Humanity (DFH), and other reputed organizations—demonstrating strong synergy between academia, industry, and youth-focused platforms.
The **Grand Opening Ceremony** was honored by the presence of **Prof. Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam*, Vice Chancellor of Royal University of Dhaka, as the **Chief Guest**. **Mr. Abdullah Al Mamun**, Chief Adviser of FoHTEM, presided over the ceremony, while **Mr. Md. Al Amin**, General Manager of Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel, attended as the **Guest of Honour**. Other distinguished guests included * Hasan Murad **, Chairman and Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, Royal University of Dhaka; MD Md. Moshiur Rahman , Registrar, royal university of Dhaka **Faisal Hossain**, Director of Nahid Group of Companies and Fiona Luxury Resort; renowned actress **Keya Payel**; and **M. A. Nahiyan**, Chairman of FoHTEM.
The dignitaries emphasized the importance of youth empowerment through recognition, mentorship, and exposure to real-world leadership platforms, highlighting FoHTEM’s role in bridging the gap between academic learning and industry practice.
As a flagship annual initiative of FoHTEM, **HATA 2026** honored outstanding professionals and institutions from leading local and international hotels, resorts, hospitals, and hospitality-related educational institutions across Bangladesh. The event also provided a national platform for students to showcase their talents through business idea presentations, debates, public speaking sessions, cooking contests, cultural performances, and interactive competitions, evaluated by an experienced panel of judges.
The multi-day program further featured skill development workshops, career planning seminars, live discussion shows, interactive Q&A sessions, quizzes, multimedia presentations, and a grand award ceremony—making **HATA 2026** a comprehensive and impactful platform for youth empowerment, leadership development, and excellence in the hospitality and tourism industry.”**
