Bangladesh’s inbound tourists 7.6% down in 2025 as Indian arrivals slump

Dhaka: Foreign visitor arrivals in Bangladesh fell 7.6% year-on-year in 2025, mainly due to a sharp decline in arrivals from India, even as several Western and East Asian markets recorded growth, according to Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) statistics prepared by the Special Branch of Police.

Bangladesh received 585,145 foreign visitors in 2025, down from 633,094 in 2024 and 655,451 in 2023.

The top 10 source markets were India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, China, Japan, Germany and Sweden.

India remained Bangladesh’s largest source market, but the number of Indian visitors fell to 194,609 in 2025 from 263,285 in 2024 — a decline of 26.1%.

The figure was also 34% lower than the 294,668 Indian visitors recorded in 2023. Consequently, India’s share of total foreign arrivals declined to 33.3% in 2025 from 41.6% in 2024 and 45% in 2023.

The decline came amid heightened tensions between the two countries, which led to a substantial reduction in the number of visas issued by both sides, according to tourism-sector insiders.

The sharp drop in Indian arrivals was large enough to offset the growth recorded in most other major source markets.

The United Kingdom remained the second-largest source market, sending 113,288 visitors in 2025, up 4.9% from 108,024 a year earlier.

The United States followed with 108,182 visitors, up 2.1% from 105,987 in 2024.

Canada recorded 33,094 arrivals, up 6.5%, while Australia sent 31,182 visitors, an increase of 6.6%.

Italy posted stronger growth, with arrivals rising 12.1% to 21,952.

Among the top 10 source markets, China recorded the highest growth. Chinese arrivals jumped 44.4% to 6,808 in 2025 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 in 2024.

The data suggest a gradual shift in the composition of Bangladesh’s foreign visitor market, with the country’s dependence on India declining while arrivals from Western and some East Asian markets continue to increase.

A significant portion of foreign arrivals consists of Bangladeshi-origin foreign passport holders visiting relatives, business travellers and participants in meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

While these visitors may be counted as foreign arrivals in official statistics, they generally contribute less to the tourism economy than conventional leisure tourists.

The distinction is important because leisure tourists typically generate higher spending on hotels, transport, restaurants, tour guides and tourist attractions.