As India enforces visa restrictions on Bangladeshis for political and strategic reasons, the number of Bangladeshi tourists visiting Sri Lanka surged by 220 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to sources in Dhaka and Colombo.

Following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, through a large-scale public movement led by students, India significantly tightened its visa policies for Bangladeshis, sources in Dhaka, New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai reported.

Before Sheikh Hasina’s ousting, the Indian High Commission issued between 7,000 and 8,000 visas daily to Bangladeshis. That number has now dropped to around 700–800 per day. Indian politicians, concerned about perceived radical influences in Bangladesh, are unlikely to restore visa issuance to previous levels, sources added.

As a result of these restrictions, Bangladeshis have increasingly turned to alternative travel destinations. The number of Bangladeshi tourists visiting Sri Lanka increased by 220 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.

In 2022, approximately 3,000 Bangladeshis visited Sri Lanka. This number rose to 17,846 in 2023 and further surged to 39,555 in 2024. The growth in 2023 alone marked a nearly 600 percent increase from the previous year.

Rezaul Ekram, former director, proprietor, and CEO of Entourage Bangladesh, as well as a former director of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), told this correspondent that several countries—including India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia—have imposed visa restrictions on Bangladeshis. Consequently, travelers from Bangladesh are increasingly opting for destinations like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Ekram, who also serves as the Bangladesh Chapter President of the South Asia Tourism Federation, noted that airfare on the Dhaka–Colombo–Dhaka route has become more affordable, with periodic price adjustments to attract more Bangladeshi visitors.

Sujeewa Rodrigo, Country Manager of SriLankan Airlines for Bangladesh, confirmed that the airline plans to increase flight frequency in the coming months to accommodate the rising number of Bangladeshi tourists traveling to Sri Lanka.

Similarly, Vikash Fernando, Manager of Esna Holidays Private Limited in Sri Lanka, stated that the country aims to welcome 80,000 Bangladeshi tourists this year.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka generated approximately $3.17 billion in tourism revenue in 2024, according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), as reported by Xinhua.

This figure represents a 53.2 percent increase from 2023, when tourism earnings stood at around $2.07 billion.

CBSL statistics indicate that over two million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2024, marking a 38.1 percent rise compared to the previous year.

Tourism officials have set an ambitious target of $5 billion in tourism revenue for 2025 by attracting three million visitors.

Sri Lanka's tourism sector reached a significant milestone in 2024, surpassing the two million visitor mark for only the second time in the country's history—the first being in 2018.

The industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and economic difficulties that hindered international tourism. Despite these setbacks, Sri Lanka has steadily rebuilt its tourism sector, welcoming 1.4 million visitors in 2023 before reaching the two million milestone in 2024.

According to Sri Lankan media, this resurgence has been driven by government initiatives and tourism officials' efforts to revitalize the industry. The 2019 Easter attacks, which targeted churches and hotels, had a devastating impact, leading to a sharp decline in visitor numbers. The COVID-19 pandemic further worsened the situation, bringing international travel to a near standstill.

However, Sri Lanka’s steady recovery has been fueled by improved safety measures, increased promotion of the country’s cultural and natural attractions, and strategic marketing campaigns targeting key tourism markets.