Despite its vast mangrove forests, tea plantation-covered hills and record-breaking beaches, Bangladesh remains a blank spot on the map for most tourists.
According to the Bangladesh Tourism Board, the South Asian country welcomed just 650,000 foreign tourists in 2024, a fraction of the number of neighboring countries such as India and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh has historically struggled to emerge as a mainstream travel destination, despite the country’s natural treasures and urban attractions of more than 170 million people.
“I think there’s an unconscious connection between this country and natural disasters. We only hear about this country for the wrong reasons,” said Jim O’Brien, director of Native Eye Travel, a travel company that has been operating in Bangladesh since 2017.
Local travel companies say this perception obscures both the country’s diversity and the experiences travelers are increasingly seeking.
Fahad Ahmed, founder of Bengal Expedition Tours, wants travelers to explore Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, where 24 million people live and work.
He also points to the rolling hills of Sreemangarh, where tea plantations stretch north toward the Himalayas, and Cox’s Bazar, home to 110 kilometers of white sand, said to be the world’s longest natural sea beach.
“Travellers want to have a local experience. They want to see the real local life in Bangladesh,” says Ahmed. “Tourism here is still in its infancy, but there is a lot of potential.”
With visas on arrival now available for most nationalities, new hotels opening in Dhaka, and more international travel companies adding Bangladesh to their itineraries, Ahmed believes Bangladesh is becoming easier to visit, if not easier to sell yet.
British tourist Anand Patel visited Bangladesh with adventure tour company Lupine Travel in November 2025 as part of a joint trip to Bhutan. Although it was never high on his bucket list, he jumped at the chance to explore a new country.
“When I told people I was going there, one person said, ‘Why? People leave Bangladesh to come here!'” he told CNN Travel.
“Bangladesh’s reputation in the West is that it is one of the leading producers, especially of textiles, and the only time it makes the news is when there are floods or riots. That’s a negative perception. As a result, the country doesn’t stand out as a destination.”
After arriving in Dhaka, Patel took a six-hour bus journey south to Barishal, a city on the Ganges River Delta.
“Unlike other markets I’ve seen, this was not a touristic spectacle, but a very authentic local market, with small boats full of fruit and crops, farmers selling produce, and hawkers selling freshly prepared treats,” he recalls.
“The boat trip was amazing. We moved along the river through farms and woods, waving to people on the shore. It was a really lovely day.”
Gary Joyce, an Irish traveler who joined Lupine on the tour around the same time, had long wanted to visit Bangladesh after living in neighboring India.
“We stayed in the old city,” he says of arriving in Dhaka.
“So from the very beginning we learned about the chaos of the streets. My first impression was that it’s a city that never sleeps. Sights and noises attack you from every angle. It’s a great introduction.”
Joyce crossed the Ganges River by boat, visited shipyards and repair yards in Dhaka, explored the abandoned former capital of Panam, and rode a local ferry through the delta.
“Every aspect of the tour was a great experience,” he says. “The highlights for me were the photo opportunities, especially at the floating market and Dhaka’s old city.”
Like Patel, Joyce believes Bangladesh is widely misunderstood.
“I think Bangladesh has had bad press in the past,” he says. “But with good food, friendly people, and lots of great places to visit, it has a lot to offer for travelers who don’t like lounging on the beach.”
“Train surfing” and the textile market
Kausar Ahmed Milon, who runs Dhaka-based Dhaka Tour Guides, said the country’s image problem remains a barrier.
“People see Bangladesh as a third world country, not an organized country, not a good place to visit,” he told CNN. “But tourists who visit Bangladesh have a positive experience. The people are friendly and welcoming. Even though we are a poor country, we have a positive mindset.”
Bangladesh’s history has been turbulent. The country emerged from the Partition of India in 1947, fought for independence from Pakistan in 1971, and has endured devastating cyclones that have killed more than 700,000 people in the past 50 years. Rising sea levels, pollution of waterways and poverty remain persistent challenges.
Miron said some visitors are drawn to the dark depictions of the country they see online.
“There are a lot of bloggers and YouTubers,” he says. “They want to report on the negative aspects of Bangladesh and make money from views. They want to visit Dhaka’s ‘garbage city’ and ride on the roofs of trains.”
“The people are friendly and welcoming. Even though we are a poor country, we have a positive mindset.”
Dhaka Tour Guide Kausar Ahmed Milon
Videos featuring overcrowded transportation, including the illegal but widespread practice of “train surfing,” are easy to find online. Miron said she hopes to encourage travelers to respect local laws and promote ecotourism, rural homestays and nature.
However, Ahmed of Bengal Expedition Tours believes that visiting non-traditional sites is essential for foreigners to understand the country. He does not approve of people riding on trains, but he also targets textile markets (Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment exporter) and shipyards and scrapyards in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The U.S. Department of Labor says more than 2.7 million Bangladeshi children between the ages of 5 and 14 are employed in underage labor, many in the apparel industry. Ahmed said shipyard work is dangerous and poorly paid, and tourism can help create an alternative.
“When tourism grows, the economy grows,” he says. “People without jobs can work in the tourism industry. The more people visit Bangladesh, the more locals will benefit.”
Beyond Dhaka, guides invite visitors to experience rural Bangladesh. The Sundarbans, a vast mangrove region that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Park, offers backwater safaris where you can spot the rare Bengal tiger.
Along the waterways, community-based tourism initiatives allow local residents to supplement their agricultural income by working as guides or at eco-resorts.
In the tea-growing region of Sreemangarh in far north Bangladesh, a community tourism project supported by a pioneering microfinance initiative is encouraging locals to become homestay hosts and trekking guides.
However, political and security instability remains a concern. Dylan Harris, founder of Lupine Travel, says fear can deter travelers.
“Sometimes, especially around elections, there can be social unrest,” he says.
“From our point of view, tours can continue during these times. Problems are often isolated and far from any part of the tourist route. However, it is completely understandable that it causes anxiety among some tourists.”
Harris also pointed to security concerns related to the recent trial of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is accused of ordering the killing of student protesters during the 2024 revolution that led to the government’s collapse. She was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death in November 2025, and has been living in self-imposed exile in India since August 2024.
Concerns are growing ahead of national elections in February following violent protests in December.
Bangladesh’s advisory levels vary, and Harris said the situation could be confusing for travelers.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned against travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts near the Myanmar border, and the US State Department has ranked Bangladesh at Level 3, urging travelers to “reconsider travel due to civil unrest, crime and terrorism.”
Native Eye Travel’s O’Brien says the warning doesn’t deter customers. They are “well-traveled and a little older,” he says. They have already visited mainstream destinations in Asia, aim to go off the beaten path, and are ready for an easy level of tourism infrastructure.
“We hope that more people will start discovering what Bangladesh has to offer, but it is unlikely that it will become a mainstream destination like India or Sri Lanka,” he says.
“However, it is slowly becoming more established in the itineraries of more intrepid travelers who are prepared to see through some of the downsides and accept them as part of seeing a country untainted by mass tourism.”
Ahmed agrees and says that might not be a bad thing.
“In my honest opinion, we don’t want mass tourism,” he says.
“What we want are people who actually want to visit Bangladesh, who want to see our people and see the countryside. If we had the same number of tourists coming to visit Sri Lanka, we would lose our authenticity. The real Bangladesh would disappear.”
