Print: 29 Oct 2025
World Tourism Day Special
Tourism in Bangladesh: Expensive despite poor service
Regular tourists and tour operators say that hotel and resort rents in the country are higher compared to many of its neighbours
Bangladesh, a beauty bouquet of nature with a variety of mesmerising destinations, has been failing to tap its tourism potential for years, thanks to the low-quality service it offers at a higher cost than its regional competitors.
Regular tourists and tour operators say that hotel and resort rents in the country are higher compared to many of its neighbours. Transportation costs are steep, and food prices are also quite high.
Holidaymakers with extensive travel experiences over the past decade in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and various states of India, observed that—except for Singapore and the Maldives—travel expenses in Bangladesh are much higher than in all the other countries.
Airfare, bus fares, and car rentals for travel are significantly higher in the country. Restaurants in Bangladesh also charge the highest prices compared to those abroad. In addition, hotel or resort rents of the same standard are almost double in Bangladesh compared to these countries.
“I had to spend over Tk 40,000 for staying two days in a resort. I think the cost was too high compared to the services I received there. From my experience of exploring foreign tourism facilities, I can say that I could easily enjoy quite better facilities in many other countries spending the same amount of money,” said Farhana Binte Mannan, senior vice-president of a private bank, following her recent family trip to a resort located in Habiganj.
“There are some good resorts and hotels in Bangladesh, but these cannot provide quality service and charge much higher than the neighbouring countries,” she added.
Farhana mentions the name of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand while referring to neighbouring countries. The reality is that Bangladesh is nowhere near the number of foreign tourists who visit these countries every year.
After failing to woo foreign sightseers in expected numbers, Bangladesh’s tourism industry now largely depends on the local travellers. The country’s economy has grown in size. Some 90,00,000 to 100,00,000 sightseers, mostly people who belong to the middleclass, visit different local tourist spots annually, which multiply the income of tour service providers and boost the economic contribution of the sector to the national GDP.
The number of tour operators is increasing in the country targeting mainly the local tourists. Mahmudur Rahman Polash has been operating a tour operator agency Flycap Travels for the last two and a half years.
According to him, the main reason for excessive expenditure in tourism establishments in Bangladesh is syndicate business.
“There are different syndicates in tourism spots. If you want to go to Sundarbans aiming to enjoy a moonlight night, you will find the fares of all ships are increased simultaneously. The situation is the same in the haor region, Sajek valley and Rangamati as well. Such practice really discourages tourists and tour operators,” he told the Daily Sun.
High rent of hotel rooms is a key reason that is making tourists bound to count excessive amount of money in spending their holidays in Bangladesh.
The rent of a medium-quality hotel room in the country’s prime tourist city, Cox’s Bazar, is at least USD 50 or Tk 6,100 during the tourist season, while any holidaymaker can stay in a three-star hotel in Thailand, Malaysia and even in some European countries spending same amount of money along with complimentary buffet breakfast.
Besides, excessive travel expenses and costly foods are increasing tourism costs in the country.
For instance, any tourist group consisting of 15 people needs to spend around Tk 5,000 to 6,000 to hire a boat for exploring Kaptai Lake in Rangamati, while if they individually approach to ride on a boat along with 20 others they have to spend Tk 1,000 to 1,200 for each.
When it comes to air travel, for a 30-40 minute domestic flight in Bangladesh, passengers need to spend Tk 4,000 to 6,000. In neighboring countries, tickets for the same distance are available for the equivalent of Tk 2,000 to 3,000. For international flights from Dhaka, ticket prices are more than double, while from Kolkata, tickets for flights of the same distance cost nearly half the price.
It’s not just air travel—bus fares are also higher in Bangladesh. For a 200-300 kilometer journey within the country, an air-conditioned bus ticket costs Tk 1,500-2,000. In other countries, the same distance on a similar quality bus costs the equivalent of Tk 800-1,000.
In Bhutan, an air-conditioned taxi can be rented for Tk 2,500–3,000 a day. Depending on the type of vehicle, the cost can go up to Tk 5,000. With such a car, one can travel from one city to another without incurring any additional expenses—the entire cost is included in the package. This means that renting a car for a day costs the equivalent of Tk 3,500–4,200. The same rates apply in different states of India as well.
In contrast, in Bangladesh, renting a similar car to travel from one city to another costs Tk 8,000–10,000 a day.
Comparison of food expenditure will surely astonish any one. It is quite difficult for two people to have their lunch or dinner spending Tk 1,000 in a fairly good restaurant in the country, while all the members of a tourist family can complete their lunch or dinner at TBH 215 or Tk 812 in Thailand. The expense for lunch or dinner is similar in India or Bhutan as well.
“Infrastructure costs are certainly higher. However, the main reason behind the expensive tourism is the mindset of business owners. Instead of focusing on retaining regular tourists, they tend to prioritise making extra profit in one go. Overall, the situation is not tourist-friendly. Efforts need to be made to regularly motivate businesses in this sector through training programmes,” said Prof Dr Shariful Islam Khandakar, chairman of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at University of Dhaka.
Usually local tourists manage time for making trips at a certain time of the year. They choose the winter season as weather suits tour during this time and most educational institutions remains closed. Besides, trip lovers prefer Eid holidays as well. Consequently, overcrowding of tourists during these times increases travel costs further.
If arrangements were made to attract holidaymakers even in summer or monsoon season, then the anomaly regarding excessive charge would have been avoided
Bangladesh has ranked 109th out of 119 economies in the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024, coming in last among the 19 Asia-Pacific countries assessed in a World Economic Forum travel and tourism study released on 21 May last year.
If the issue of high cost of tourism in Bangladesh is not addressed properly, the country will continue to lag behind in using its potential in the sector.
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World Tourism Day Special
Tourism in Bangladesh: Expensive despite poor service
Regular tourists and tour operators say that hotel and resort rents in the country are higher compared to many of its neighbours
Bangladesh, a beauty bouquet of nature with a variety of mesmerising destinations, has been failing to tap its tourism potential for years, thanks to the low-quality service it offers at a higher cost than its regional competitors.
Regular tourists and tour operators say that hotel and resort rents in the country are higher compared to many of its neighbours. Transportation costs are steep, and food prices are also quite high.
Holidaymakers with extensive travel experiences over the past decade in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and various states of India, observed that—except for Singapore and the Maldives—travel expenses in Bangladesh are much higher than in all the other countries.
Airfare, bus fares, and car rentals for travel are significantly higher in the country. Restaurants in Bangladesh also charge the highest prices compared to those abroad. In addition, hotel or resort rents of the same standard are almost double in Bangladesh compared to these countries.
“I had to spend over Tk 40,000 for staying two days in a resort. I think the cost was too high compared to the services I received there. From my experience of exploring foreign tourism facilities, I can say that I could easily enjoy quite better facilities in many other countries spending the same amount of money,” said Farhana Binte Mannan, senior vice-president of a private bank, following her recent family trip to a resort located in Habiganj.
“There are some good resorts and hotels in Bangladesh, but these cannot provide quality service and charge much higher than the neighbouring countries,” she added.
Farhana mentions the name of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand while referring to neighbouring countries. The reality is that Bangladesh is nowhere near the number of foreign tourists who visit these countries every year.
After failing to woo foreign sightseers in expected numbers, Bangladesh’s tourism industry now largely depends on the local travellers. The country’s economy has grown in size. Some 90,00,000 to 100,00,000 sightseers, mostly people who belong to the middleclass, visit different local tourist spots annually, which multiply the income of tour service providers and boost the economic contribution of the sector to the national GDP.
The number of tour operators is increasing in the country targeting mainly the local tourists. Mahmudur Rahman Polash has been operating a tour operator agency Flycap Travels for the last two and a half years.
According to him, the main reason for excessive expenditure in tourism establishments in Bangladesh is syndicate business.
“There are different syndicates in tourism spots. If you want to go to Sundarbans aiming to enjoy a moonlight night, you will find the fares of all ships are increased simultaneously. The situation is the same in the haor region, Sajek valley and Rangamati as well. Such practice really discourages tourists and tour operators,” he told the Daily Sun.
High rent of hotel rooms is a key reason that is making tourists bound to count excessive amount of money in spending their holidays in Bangladesh.
The rent of a medium-quality hotel room in the country’s prime tourist city, Cox’s Bazar, is at least USD 50 or Tk 6,100 during the tourist season, while any holidaymaker can stay in a three-star hotel in Thailand, Malaysia and even in some European countries spending same amount of money along with complimentary buffet breakfast.
Besides, excessive travel expenses and costly foods are increasing tourism costs in the country.
For instance, any tourist group consisting of 15 people needs to spend around Tk 5,000 to 6,000 to hire a boat for exploring Kaptai Lake in Rangamati, while if they individually approach to ride on a boat along with 20 others they have to spend Tk 1,000 to 1,200 for each.
When it comes to air travel, for a 30-40 minute domestic flight in Bangladesh, passengers need to spend Tk 4,000 to 6,000. In neighboring countries, tickets for the same distance are available for the equivalent of Tk 2,000 to 3,000. For international flights from Dhaka, ticket prices are more than double, while from Kolkata, tickets for flights of the same distance cost nearly half the price.
It’s not just air travel—bus fares are also higher in Bangladesh. For a 200-300 kilometer journey within the country, an air-conditioned bus ticket costs Tk 1,500-2,000. In other countries, the same distance on a similar quality bus costs the equivalent of Tk 800-1,000.
In Bhutan, an air-conditioned taxi can be rented for Tk 2,500–3,000 a day. Depending on the type of vehicle, the cost can go up to Tk 5,000. With such a car, one can travel from one city to another without incurring any additional expenses—the entire cost is included in the package. This means that renting a car for a day costs the equivalent of Tk 3,500–4,200. The same rates apply in different states of India as well.
In contrast, in Bangladesh, renting a similar car to travel from one city to another costs Tk 8,000–10,000 a day.
Comparison of food expenditure will surely astonish any one. It is quite difficult for two people to have their lunch or dinner spending Tk 1,000 in a fairly good restaurant in the country, while all the members of a tourist family can complete their lunch or dinner at TBH 215 or Tk 812 in Thailand. The expense for lunch or dinner is similar in India or Bhutan as well.
“Infrastructure costs are certainly higher. However, the main reason behind the expensive tourism is the mindset of business owners. Instead of focusing on retaining regular tourists, they tend to prioritise making extra profit in one go. Overall, the situation is not tourist-friendly. Efforts need to be made to regularly motivate businesses in this sector through training programmes,” said Prof Dr Shariful Islam Khandakar, chairman of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at University of Dhaka.
Usually local tourists manage time for making trips at a certain time of the year. They choose the winter season as weather suits tour during this time and most educational institutions remains closed. Besides, trip lovers prefer Eid holidays as well. Consequently, overcrowding of tourists during these times increases travel costs further.
If arrangements were made to attract holidaymakers even in summer or monsoon season, then the anomaly regarding excessive charge would have been avoided
Bangladesh has ranked 109th out of 119 economies in the Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024, coming in last among the 19 Asia-Pacific countries assessed in a World Economic Forum travel and tourism study released on 21 May last year.
If the issue of high cost of tourism in Bangladesh is not addressed properly, the country will continue to lag behind in using its potential in the sector.