Foreign tourist arrivals down 7.6% in 2025 as Indian visitors slump

Foreign visitor arrivals, including leisure tourists and business travellers, in Bangladesh fell 7.6% year-on-year in 2025, mainly due to a sharp decline in visitors from India, even as arrivals from several Western and East Asian markets increased.

The country received 585,145 foreign visitors in 2025, down from 633,094 in 2024 and 655,451 in 2023, according to the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) statistics prepared by the Special Branch of Police.

Infographic: TBS

India remained the largest source market, but arrivals from the country fell 26.1% to 194,609 last year from 263,285 in 2024. The decline came amid heightened tensions between the two countries and a substantial reduction in visas issued by both sides, according to tourism-sector insiders.

Apart from India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, China, Japan, Germany and Sweden were among Bangladesh's top 10 source markets last year.

However, tourism-sector insiders caution that the official figures should not be interpreted entirely as leisure-tourist arrivals.

A significant portion of foreign arrivals comprises foreign passport holders of Bangladeshi origin visiting relatives, business travellers and participants in meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). They may be counted as foreign tourists but generally generate much less tourism spending than conventional leisure travellers.

"In statistical terms, they are tourists, but they are not coming for leisure. Many expatriate Bangladeshis come to meet family and friends and usually stay at relatives' homes rather than hotels," inbound tour operator Syed Mahbubul Alam Bulu told TBS.

He estimated that genuine leisure tourists could account for no more than around 15% of total foreign arrivals.

The distinction is important because leisure tourists generally spend more on hotels, transport, restaurants, guides and attractions.

In 2020, foreign visitors spent the largest share of their money on accommodation (41.48%), followed by food and beverages (19.16%), shopping and other goods and services (12.84%), and road passenger transport (5.65%), according to Tourism Satellite Account data prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, export receipts from inbound visitor-related services rose to Tk3,079 crore in FY22 from Tk1,853 crore in FY21, according to central bank data.

Bulu said his company handled around 120-125 foreign leisure tourists in 2025, with Italian travellers among the notable groups. During the upcoming October-March peak season, he expects around 150-200 tourists to come through his company, Reverain Tour.

Indian arrivals plunge
Indian visitors accounted for 33.3% of Bangladesh's total foreign arrivals in 2025, down from 41.6% in 2024 and 45% in 2023. The number was also 34% below the 294,668 Indian visitors recorded in 2023.

The decline was large enough to offset growth from most other major source markets.

Arrivals from the UK, Bangladesh's second-largest source market, rose 4.9% to 113,288 in 2025 from 108,024 a year earlier. The United States followed with 108,182 visitors, up 2.1% from 105,987.

Canada recorded 33,094 arrivals, an increase of 6.5%, while visitors from Australia rose 6.6% to 31,182. Italy saw stronger growth, with arrivals increasing 12.1% to 21,952.

Arrivals of Bangladeshi visitors in India also fell 73% to 4.7 lakh in 2025 from 17.5 lakh a year earlier, according to India's Tourism Ministry.

The 12.8 lakh decline in Bangladeshi visitors was larger than the overall decline of 9.3 lakh in foreign tourist arrivals in India during the year. As a result, Bangladesh slipped from India's second-largest source of foreign tourists to fifth.

China, Japan gain ground
Among Asian markets, China recorded the strongest growth in 2025. Chinese arrivals jumped 44.4% to 6,808 from 4,715 a year earlier.

Japanese arrivals increased 14.3% to 6,472, while visitors from Germany rose to 5,740 from 5,441. Sweden rounded out the top 10 with 4,754 arrivals, up from 4,426.

The figures point to a gradual change in the composition of Bangladesh's foreign visitor market, with the country becoming less dependent on India while arrivals from Western and some East Asian markets increase.

Inbound tour operator and Journey Plus Chief Executive Toufiq Rahman said the market was showing signs of recovery, with enquiries for the upcoming peak season already coming in.

"Overall, the market declined by around 7-8% in 2025 compared with 2024. But enquiries for 2026 are looking good," he told TBS.

Bookings have already been received for October, with further demand expected in November and December, he said.

Promotion, travel advisories remain challenges
According to sector insiders, political stability, international travel advisories and Bangladesh's promotional efforts abroad remain critical to attracting high-spending leisure tourists.

Travel advisories and perceptions of security can directly influence decisions by overseas tour operators and travellers. In some cases, heightened warnings can also affect travel insurance coverage, making operators less willing to promote a destination.

The US updated its travel advisory for Bangladesh on 31 July, lowering it from Level 3, "Reconsider Travel", to Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution", according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Toufiq said Bangladesh needed to strengthen promotion in European markets such as Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, where tourist arrivals remain relatively low despite their potential.

He also called for Bangladeshi missions abroad to take a more active role in tourism promotion by inviting travel journalists, influencers and tour operators to visit the country and experience its destinations first-hand.

Master plan for tourism facilities
The government is also working on an integrated tourism master plan covering around 1,498 attractions across the country, aimed at promoting planned, environment-friendly and sustainable tourism.

Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Mutasim Billah Faruqui told TBS that the board was prioritising better tourist facilities and services and planned to accelerate implementation of projects under the master plan.

"We have some projects to enhance tourist facilities and services. We want to implement those projects very quickly," he told TBS.

On attracting more foreign tourists, Faruqui said the board would strengthen engagement with the international community, foreign embassies and other stakeholders.

"We want to engage with the international community, embassies and other stakeholders to encourage their citizens to visit Bangladesh," he said.