Despite its immense potential in natural beauty, beaches, hills, mangrove forests and historical sites, Bangladesh continues to lag behind in attracting foreign tourists. While many countries are leveraging tourism to earn foreign currency, Bangladesh ranks at the bottom in South Asia in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Despite spending substantial amounts of money on expanding tourism facilities, improving infrastructure and promoting the sector over the past decade, Bangladesh has failed to establish the expected position in the international tourism market. The number of foreign tourists visiting the country instead fell by 7.6 percent last year compared with 2024.
Against this backdrop, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) has recently proposed 60 development projects worth around BDT 190 billion to tap the potential of the tourism industry and increase its contribution to the national economy. The proposals have reportedly been submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.
According to statistics from the Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), 585,145 foreign tourists visited Bangladesh in 2025, while the figure was 633,094 in 2024, meaning the number of foreign tourists fell by 47,949, or 7.6 percent, in one year. In 2023, Bangladesh received 655,451 foreign tourists.
While the number of foreign tourists declined in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives recorded increases of 15.1 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively, in 2025 compared with 2024. Bhutan, however, recorded the highest growth, receiving 44.33 percent more tourists last year than in 2024. In total, 209,376 foreign tourists visited the country last year, according to the Bhutan government’s “Tashel Melong 2025” report. Foreign tourist arrivals are also increasing in Pakistan, which has been affected by conflicts in various regions, and in war-torn Afghanistan.
Like Bangladesh, India also recorded a decline in foreign tourist arrivals last year compared with 2024. Many consider the decline in visitors from India one of the key reasons for the fall in foreign tourist arrivals in Bangladesh. India received 9.4 percent fewer foreign tourists than in 2024. One of the reasons cited for this decline is the lower number of Bangladeshi tourists visiting India.
Motiur Rahman, proprietor of tour operator group No Borders Tourism and Travels, told Bonik Barta, “Although domestic tourists from our country are travelling to various destinations, the number of foreign tourists visiting Bangladesh is declining. One of the main reasons is political changes and a lack of security for travellers. Many of them have the perception that various scams take place in South Asian countries. If someone goes to the Sundarbans or the hills and falls victim to a scam, they won’t want to return. Foreign tourists tend to look for eco-friendly destinations. We’re also unable to provide adequate security. That’s why many of them don’t want to come to Bangladesh even after making enquiries.”
Today is World Tourism Day. This year’s theme is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism”. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has organised various programmes from today until October 3 to mark the day.
Travel content creator Salahuddin Sumon believes facilities and opportunities need to be expanded to increase the number of foreign tourists in Bangladesh. He told Bonik Barta, “Bangladesh’s tourism sector hasn’t been properly branded to foreign audiences. They’ve little idea about the country’s tourist attractions. At the same time, there are not enough entertainment options for foreign tourists. They don’t have enough opportunities to spend money while visiting Bangladesh. Hotel rates are also relatively high.”
He also said, “Tourist safety is another important issue. When a foreign tourist visits a place, crowds of people gather around them. The visa process for foreign visitors also needs to be made easier. We need to regularly produce content showcasing attractive destinations across the country, including the Sundarbans and Cox’s Bazar, to foreign audiences.”
The decline in foreign tourist arrivals in Bangladesh is also reflected in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The index considers factors including tourism prioritisation, openness, price competitiveness, tourism infrastructure and services, natural and cultural resources and sustainable tourism development. In the report published on Friday, Bangladesh ranked 98th among 110 countries, with a score of 3.34 out of 7. In South Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan ranked ahead of Bangladesh. Bangladesh also ranked towards the bottom compared with countries across the broader Asia-Pacific region.
Mohammad Nezam Uddin Bhuyan, company secretary of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), believes Bangladesh needs to strengthen its branding to attract tourists.
He said, “The kind of branding we need to promote our tourist destinations abroad isn’t being done. We’re unable to run positive promotional campaigns, which is why foreign tourists aren’t showing much interest. Although Bangladesh has many destinations capable of attracting tourists, the facilities there are very limited. If these facilities can be improved, we’ll receive a better response.”
The World Bank’s Tourism Watch, published in June 2026, says that although the global tourism sector remains on a growth trajectory, South Asia’s recovery has been weaker and more uneven than that of other regions. In the first quarter of 2026, tourist flows in South Asia were affected by air connectivity, disruptions at regional hubs and global uncertainty.
Shariful Alam Khandkar, chairman of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Dhaka, sees multiple barriers to tourist arrivals in Bangladesh. He told Bonik Barta, “Tourist arrivals are part of an integrated package. Around 300 sectors are connected to it. To attract tourists, we need to simplify visa procedures and develop all the relevant sectors. Maintaining law and order and ensuring a tourist-friendly environment are also essential. In addition, private-sector stakeholders could be brought into the hospitality sector.”
Around 49 percent of the expenditure by foreign visitors to Bangladesh in 2020 went towards accommodation, according to data from the Tourism Satellite Account prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Food and beverages accounted for 19 percent, shopping and other goods and services for 13 percent and transport for 6 percent.
Stakeholders say that despite the construction of resorts, hotels and motels, ecoparks, tourism parks and other infrastructure at various tourist destinations, including Cox’s Bazar, the Sundarbans and Sylhet, Bangladesh has failed to attract foreign tourists. BPC has now proposed 60 new projects. A total of 1,498 tourism potential sites have been identified across eight tourism zones in the country, and infrastructure will be developed at these sites under the proposed projects at BDT 190 billion.
BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman disclosed the information at a discussion meeting on the potential of Bangladesh’s tourism industry and ways to develop it, held at the Parjatan Bhaban in Agargaon on September 21.
When contacted, BPC General Manager Ziaul Haque Howlader told Bonik Barta, “We’re working to implement 60 projects across eight zones of the country. Among these mega projects, more will be undertaken in Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet and the northern region. They’ll include the construction of multipurpose tourist centres, children’s recreation centres, resorts, hotels and motels and cultural centres. Investment will come from the private sector alongside the government.”
While the tourism sector contributes only 3 percent to the country’s GDP, the government is considering increasing this share to 7–10 percent. To achieve this, the government is calling for international-standard facilities at potential tourist destinations, the development of skilled tourist guides, promotion of traditional and regional cuisine, and coordinated initiatives by relevant public and private institutions to develop the tourism industry.
Asked about the objectives of the new 60 projects, Abdur Rauf, additional secretary of the Tourism Division under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, told Bonik Barta, “Our target is to increase both local and foreign tourist arrivals and develop the sector. To this end, we’ve undertaken a number of initiatives. In the past, we built many resorts and hotels and motels at various tourist destinations, including Cox’s Bazar and the Sundarbans. But tourist numbers have declined at these places.”
He added, “We want to attract tourists back to these destinations by increasing maintenance, facilities and promotional activities. A master plan for tourism has been undertaken. If it can be implemented properly, you’ll see positive results in the days ahead.”