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Most of the inbound tour operators have been cutting jobs and shifting their offices aiming to slash operational costs, industry insiders say.
They said though the overall hospitality, tourism and aviation sector is hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, such operators are bearing the brunt.
Inbound season starts from July and lasts until June. An estimated 30,000 leisure tourists visit Bangladesh each year, mostly from the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, China and India.
The leisure tourists are interested in Bangladeshi heritage and archaeological sites, global heritage sites and religious spots. There are purely 10 to 15 inbound tour operators while many run both inbound and outbound operations for their sustenance.
Talking to the FE, Journey Plus chief executive Taufiq Rahman said he is shifting his office to his home to reduce costs. There were nine staffers, of which three are working in his restaurant.
"I had to pay Tk 50,000 as office rent excluding utility bills, staff salary and other expenditure. But I have not earned a penny for the last couple of months. I am trying to sell two of my luxury tourist vehicles," he said.
He also said that even if the vaccine comes, Bangladeshi inbound operators will have to wait for another year, because long haul tourists plan at least a year ahead.
Foreign counterparts of local operators assured them of including Bangladesh in the visit list by 2022. Many have been waiting for a vaccine to arrive, which will resolve the crisis, even if Bangladesh remains a hotspot for Covid-19 cases.
"My counterpart in the UK, Wild Frontiers, has already told me that they will include Bangladesh in its list by 2022," said Mr Rahman.
He used to handle 1,000 to 1,200 foreign leisure tourists a year. There was a cruise in which 250 tourists visited Bangladesh in 2019 through Journey Plus.
In 2019, when the season had just started Mr Rahman received 750 foreign guests, but from February they cancelled trips to Bangladesh one by one.
Masud Hossain, managing director of Bengal Tours, said that he now has to pay nearly Tk 0.1 million as office rent. He has 24 employees. He will shift his office to a smaller space so that he can halve the rent.
But he will not show the door to any of his staffers whom he considers efficient.
"I will try to accommodate at least some staffers with the rent money I will save. I have already closed my Khulna office," said Mr Hossain.
He remains optimistic about the turnaround in business when an effective vaccine is found.
"The business people who will need to visit Bangladesh will come despite the corona," said Mr Hossain, also marketing and research director of the PATA Bangladesh chapter.
Bengal Tours has its own luxury car and ship like many others.
When asked, senior secretary of civil aviation and tourism ministry Mohibul Haque said that the condition of the inbound operators is bad compared to others. If they seek any help from banks under the stimulus package, they will need to mortgage their assets.
He is hopeful about the revival of the tourism sector.
"We are promoting Bangladesh as a tourist destination through Bangladesh Tourism Board and our overseas missions. We are hopeful of receiving tourists as soon as commercial flights resume in full swing," he said.