Travel surge stalls as visa curbs and high airfares stifle global tourism
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Bangladesh’s travel and tourism sector is facing an unprecedented stagnation as a combination of geopolitical instability, stringent visa restrictions, and soaring airfare costs discourage both outbound and inbound travel. What was once a routine holiday season for middle-class travelers has turned into a period of forced domestic confinement, with many citizens abandoning vacation plans due to the difficulty of securing visas and the high financial barrier of international travel.
Industry experts, including representatives from the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) and the Association of Travel Agencies of Bangladesh (ATAB), note that the sector has struggled for the past 18 months. While stakeholders initially anticipated a recovery following the recent national elections, those hopes have largely failed to materialize. Diplomatic challenges have left traditional regional destinations—such as India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan—effectively inaccessible to many Bangladeshi tourists, while key Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai remain closed to visitors.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The financial burden of travel has also reached record levels. Even in countries that remain accessible, such as Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan, the cost of air travel has surged. Airfares, which spiked threefold during the COVID-19 pandemic, have yet to return to pre-crisis levels. This pricing pressure is compounded by the rising cost of aviation turbine fuel (jet fuel), which saw significant hikes following regional conflicts in the Middle East. Although fuel prices have moderated from their peak, they remain nearly double the rates recorded in early 2024, keeping international flight tickets prohibitively expensive.
Travelers looking toward popular destinations like Singapore and Malaysia face additional hurdles, as e-visa processing is increasingly restricted to applicants with established travel histories, leaving first-time applicants in limbo. Similarly, Thai visa applications have faced significant processing delays and frequent cancellations. According to Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Bangladesh Chapter Secretary-General Toufiq Rahman, the lack of foreign tourist inflow—combined with these outbound barriers—has left the industry in a precarious position.
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With international travel becoming increasingly difficult, the domestic tourism market remains the only viable outlet for many, though it too is constrained by infrastructure challenges. Popular northern destinations like Sylhet and Moulvibazar are seeing diminished interest as travel times via road have doubled over the past two years. While major hubs like Cox’s Bazar and Sajek Valley are expected to draw crowds, industry leaders argue that the lack of a cohesive policy and the absence of foreign visitors are preventing the sector from reaching its full potential.
Reflecting on these systemic issues, government policy discussions have emphasized the need to update tourism frameworks to ensure cleaner accommodation and safer travel environments. However, for many travelers, the immediate reality remains a choice between the high costs and logistical nightmares of international travel or the limited and increasingly congested domestic options.
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