The recent unrest in Bangladesh has caused a significant drop in outbound travel.
The situation worsened about two weeks ago when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country in response to escalating student protests. This led to temporary flight disruptions and a suspension of all visas except those for medical reasons.
Although flights have now resumed, an official from a budget airline operating flights to Dhaka noted that the passenger load for these flights has decreased by over 50 per cent.
The political turmoil has led to almost 90% outbound travel from Bangladesh, an Economic Times report quoted officials from the Travel Operators Association of Bangladesh quoted as saying.
Md Taslim Amin Shovon, Director of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, said that travel to India constitutes to be a significant segment of Bangladesh’s outbound travel market.
“India is a key destination for Bangladeshi travellers, who account for 40-45 per cent of outbound trips. The majority visit for medical treatment (over 80 per cent), with shopping (15 per cent) and leisure (5 per cent) as secondary reasons. Kolkata is a favoured shopping hub, particularly before festivals, while Sikkim, Northeast India, and Kashmir also attract visitors?” Shovan said, as quoted by the report.
Although tourist arrivals in India surged by 43.5 per cent in 2023, the figures are still 15.5 per cent below pre-pandemic levels. The country saw 9.23 million visitors last year, bringing in Rs 24,707 crore in foreign exchange. Among these tourists, those from Bangladesh constituted more than 22.5 per cent, representing the largest percentage from any single nationality, the report said.
Debjit Dutta, Chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) West Bengal Chapter, noted that travel between Bangladesh and India has almost come to a halt since the onset of the recent crisis.
The report quoted him as saying, “The government has stopped issuing visas, and only those with genuine medical reasons are granted visas. Travel operators, hotels, and guest houses near hospitals in West Bengal have experienced a near 90 per cent drop in business.”
In 2023, medical tourism from Bangladesh to India experienced a significant increase of 48 per cent, with the number of patients rising to 449,570 from 304,067 the previous year.
The report quoted Samit Bez, Chief Executive and Founder of Kolkata-based medical tourism company Indiatreatments.com, as saying that his company previously managed around 150 Bangladeshi patients each month. However, he has observed a drastic decline, with the current number of patients falling to just five or 6 per month, as many appointments have been cancelled.
