Fewer Bangladesh tourists coming to India after political upheaval: Govt data
July saw a drop of 20.26%, with 157,086 visitors from Bangladesh compared to 196,991 the previous year
As of August 2024, the number of Bangladesh tourists coming to India has gone down to 1.29 million (provisional) from the previous 2.12 million tourists in 2023 due to the political upheaval in the country.
According to the Bureau of Immigration’s data, in 2019, India recorded 2.58 million foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) from Bangladesh. The number dipped to around 550,000 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and gradually increased in the subsequent years, reaching 1.27 million in 2022. In 2023, 2.12 million Bangladeshi tourists visited India, and as of August 2024, the number stood at 1.29 million (provisional), the Ministry of Tourism said in response to a Lok Sabha query.
A further breakdown of the data for 2024 shows a notable decrease in July and August which marked the time of political upheaval in Bangladesh as the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted.
For instance, July saw a drop of 20.26%, with 157,086 visitors from Bangladesh compared to 196,991 the previous year. In August, the decline was even steeper, with a 38.08% drop, from 160,164 in 2023 to 99,173 in 2024.
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Experts attribute the reduction in the number of tourists to visa restrictions.
Debjit Dutta, Chairman of IOTA West Bengal chapter and Managing Director of Impression Tourism Services explained that Bangladesh has traditionally been the largest source market for inbound tourism to India, contributing significantly to sectors like business, medical tourism, and leisure travel.
“Bangladesh has always been number one in terms of the number of travelers, with around 23 million tourists coming each year,” he said.
He pointed out that the current situation has been worsened by visa restrictions, with tourist visas being largely unavailable.
“Only business and medical visas are being issued, and even those are not easily granted,” Dutta said.
This has impacted regions like West Bengal, where many businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and service providers, rely heavily on Bangladeshi tourists.
“The mid and budget segments, especially in areas like central Kolkata, have been affected,” he added.
In response to the decline in tourist numbers, the ministry did not provide an answer but confirmed that the overall total for 2024 (up to August) is 1.29 million, a 9.14% reduction compared to the same period in 2023.
Hasina stepped down in August following weeks of protests spearheaded by student groups and a caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed office.