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Bangladesh emerges as top foreign tourist source for India
Published : Tuesday, 29 September, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Bangladeshi tourist arrivals in India surged by nearly 80 per cent year-on-year in August, despite ongoing political and diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries.
Provisional statistics from India's Ministry of Tourism reveal that over 74,000 Bangladeshi visitors arrived in India during August 2026, making Bangladesh one of the primary source countries for foreign tourist arrivals.
Overall foreign tourist arrivals in India reached approximately 6.91 lakh in August, up 10.6 per cent from nearly 6.25 lakh recorded during the same period in 2025, largely driven by the influx from Bangladesh.
While official data did not break down specific reasons for the visit, healthcare treatment, shopping, visiting relatives, and leisure travel traditionally account for the majority of Bangladeshi trips to India.
Major medical hubs in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi alongside shopping districts in Kolkata remain prime destinations for Bangladeshi travelers due to cultural and linguistic similarities.
Tourist arrivals from China also doubled to over 9,000 in August compared to August 2025, while arrivals from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka saw modest growth between 3 and 15 per cent.
Hemant Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of tourism policy group 'Athithi Foundation', called the figures encouraging but cautioned against drawing long-term conclusions based on single-month seasonal data.
He stressed that overall tourism growth depends heavily on stay duration, total expenditure, and regional distribution across Indian hotels, transport networks, and local businesses.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
