Dhaka : During the mass unrest that toppled the former government, Bangladeshi tourist arrivals dropped by 20.3 per cent year on year in July, with only 157,000 visitors from Bangladesh that month. The numbers further plummeted in August by 38.1 per cent year on year to only 99,000 visitors. From January to August 2024, the total number of Bangladeshi tourists fell by 9.1 per cent, totaling 1.286 million, as per reports.
Since Bangladeshi tourists represent the largest group of foreign visitors to India, making up 20 per cent of total FTAs, the fall in arrivals has become a concern for the tourism, hospitality and medical travel industries of the neighboring country.
For Bangladeshi nationals, India serves not only as a travel destination but also as a hub for medical treatment and shopping, added reports.
According to the report, citing official data through August, 20.8 per cent of all tourists who visited India between January and August were from Bangladesh, down from 22.3 per cent during the same period last year. The situation worsened in August, with Bangladeshi tourists accounting for just 15.6 per cent of total arrivals, claimed reports.
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, India's tourism sector has been struggling to recover fully.
In 2019, the country welcomed over 1.09 crore foreign tourists, however, the number fell to 27.45 lac in 2020 and 15.27 lac in 2021 due to strict lockdowns and travel restrictions.
While there was some recovery in 2022, with 6.191 million tourists visiting India, the figures still fell short of pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, the total reached 9.236 million, and as of August 2024, the foreign tourist arrivals stand at 61.91 lakh, still well below 2019 figures, concluded reports.