Political instability causes sharp 80% drop in outbound tourism

Outbound tourism from Bangladesh has experienced a sharp decline, with the number of travellers dropping by around 80% due to the ongoing political unrest since July, according to the Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Forum.

At the beginning of this month, the Indian embassy temporarily suspended visa issuance in Bangladesh following the ouster of the Hasina-led government amid the mass uprising on 5 August.

Since India is the primary destination for Bangladeshi tourists, this disruption has caused a significant decline in travel, with India-bound tourists now representing less than 10% of the usual volume.

Although the Indian embassy has resumed limited operations, such as distributing passports since last Thursday, full visa services have not yet been restored.

In contrast, other popular destinations such as Thailand and Malaysia are still issuing a limited number of visas, offering some options for travellers despite the overall decline.

"The crisis began in July primarily due to the student movement. With English medium schools on holiday during this period, it was a peak time for us," said Chowdhury Hasanuzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Forum.

"Corporate tours are completely on hold, and many have been cancelled. There are also some pending," he added.

According to tour operators, pre-planned tours for September and October are now shrouded in uncertainty, leading to continuous cancellations. India, being a neighbouring country, traditionally had the highest traffic.

Visas to other popular destinations, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, are also facing restrictions.

"Currently, some tourists are travelling to Thailand and Malaysia. However, visas for Dubai have been unavailable for a long time. If this situation persists, I'm concerned about whether I will be able to pay my employees for the next two months," said Chowdhury Hasanuzzaman.

An aspiring medical tourist told TBS, "We had planned to visit India for my son's surgery. However, due to the unrest in Bangladesh, we cancelled the trip and had the surgery performed at a local hospital in Dhaka."

The percentage of Bangladeshi tourists travelling abroad varies by destination.

India remains the most popular choice, accommodating 40%-45% of outbound tourists due to its cultural ties, proximity, and ease of visa access, according to the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh.

Thailand, known for its medical tourism, shopping, and leisure opportunities, attracts 15%-20% of Bangladeshi travellers.

Malaysia hosts 10%-15% of Bangladeshi tourists, while Singapore receives 5%-10%.

The Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, accounts for 10%-15% of Bangladesh's outbound tourism. Europe draws 5%-8%, and other Asian countries, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, and China, attract 5%-8%.

On the other hand, North America and Australia each receive 2%-5% of Bangladeshi tourists.

Trip Maker, an outbound tour operating agency, primarily sends tourists to Asean and Saarc countries.

India, which previously accounted for 10%-15% of their total traffic, has now seen this figure drop to zero, with no trips to India expected until September, according to their officials.

Last year, Trip Maker arranged travel for a total of 3,000 tourists, with 700 of those visiting India.

Obtaining visa becomes difficult

Tour operators report that many countries are now scrutinising visa applications more rigorously, leading to a rise in rejections.

For first-time travellers, it can take at least 25 days to secure a visa. This extended processing time results in frequent changes to tickets and hotel bookings, which in turn increases travel costs due to fines, they say.

Consequently, tourists are currently discouraged from travelling, according to operators.

"The Indian Embassy typically issues between 5,000 and 5,500 visas per day, amounting to over one lakh visas each month. Based on my estimates, around Tk700 crore to Tk750 crore would have been spent on travel to India if these tourists had been able to visit," said Taslim Amin Shovon, Director of Trade and Fair at the Tour Operators of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, sources from outgoing airlines told TBS that most outbound passengers from Bangladesh are labour migrants. As a result, the overall passenger flow has not been significantly impacted, as labour migrants continue to travel regularly.

However, there has been a noticeable decrease in leisure and business travellers.

Md Kamrul Islam, general manager at US-Bangla Airlines, told TBS, "We have not reduced our flights to Kolkata and Chennai, as tourists who obtained visas earlier are still travelling. However, if the visa suspension continues, we may have to consider reducing flights from next month."

He also stated that there have been no increases in airfare on various routes.