Holidaymakers throng beach towns amid Durga Puja festival

Tourism in Cox's Bazar, Kuakata and Sylhet has got a boost as travellers are flocking to these regions to enjoy a four-day public holiday centring Durga Puja that began yesterday, according to industry people.

However, this influx could be because an ongoing travel ban on three hill districts in the country has reduced the number of places people can choose from for their vacation.

The district administrations of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari recently imposed the 23-day travel ban due to "unavoidable circumstances" being observed from October 8 to 31.

But the recent rise in travellers comes as a relief for the tourism industry in Cox's Bazar, Kuakata and Sylhet as these regions were suffering from low turnout in July, August and September this year.

The domestic tourism industry registers turnover of around Tk 76,990 crore each year, as per a report by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in 2020.

Bangladesh boasts about 30 tourist destinations, with roughly 2.5 crore locals visiting the spots annually.

"People used to put Cox's Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts at the top of their list for travel," said a tourism and hospitality management expert on condition of anonymity.

"But ever since the construction of Padma Bridge, Kuakata and the Sundarbans have been seeing a gradual rise in the number of visitors," he added.

And considering how the turnout is also increasing in areas like Naogaon and Bagerhat, this means domestic tourism is slowly being decentralised from Cox's Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Against this backdrop, he said Cox's Bazar and Chittagong Hill Tracts now account for 55 percent of all domestic tourism compared to 70 percent previously.

"The tourism industry holds tremendous potential as the economy is growing steadily despite several challenges," said Hakim Ali, president of the Bangladesh International Hotel Association.

He informed that with the rising number of domestic travellers, the number of international hotels in the country has also seen growth over the years.

Besides, local consumers are spending more nowadays, which was not the case just five years ago, especially when it comes to food and beverage items.

So, even if domestic tourism declines, the rising consumption itself ensures that related businesses in hospitality will remain viable to a certain degree, he added.

Cox's Bazar was buzzing with holidaymakers yesterday, with more than 6 lakh people expected to visit the country's largest tourist destination till the coming Sunday.

And with about 2 lakh of these people expected to arrive on Friday and Saturday, almost all of the rooms at local accommodation facilities have been booked for the weekend.

There are more than 500 hotels, motels, resorts, guesthouses and cottages in Cox's Bazar that can collectively cater to about 1.87 lakh people each day.

Abul Kashem Sikder, president of the Cox's Bazar Hotel Guest House Owners Association, said tourists started arriving as early as Tuesday and at least 1 lakh more would gather yesterday.

He mentioned they will closely monitor accommodation prices so no one can charge tourists extra to capitalise on this influx.

Meanwhile, authorities of Sayeman Beach Resort and Hotel the Cox Today both informed that their establishments have achieved full bookings for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

"Although we couldn't do any business during the peak season amid nationwide unrest, the situation is now improving," said Imranul Alam, owner of Tour Group BD, which operates houseboat services in Tanguar Haor of Sylhet.

Sylhet typically sees very few tourists at this time but this year is a little different as the number of visitors, especially in Sreemangal and haor areas, has increased considerably due to the travel ban.

As such, almost all of the houseboats and resorts in the region have been fully booked in advance of the Durga Puja holiday, he added.

Similarly, travel and hospitality service providers in Kuakata are hopeful of recovering the losses incurred during the recent mass uprising thanks to the extended holiday.

Rumman Imtiaz Tushar, owner of Ilisha Park Resort and president of the Tour Operators Association of Kuakata, said people could not leave their homes for a long time due to recent unrest in the country.

Bangladesh was embroiled in a political upheaval since mid-July as a mass uprising culminated with the ousting of the Awami League government on August 5.

But as the political situation is calming down, tourists are flocking to various destinations for the holiday on the occasion of Durga Puja, he added.