Kuakata sees drastic fall in tourists for Ramadan

The number of tourists flocking to Kuakata Beach has fallen drastically since the middle of March, forcing hotel and motel owners to offer up to 50 per cent discounts on rents in a desperate bid to attract holidaymakers and cut losses.

Motaleb Sharif, general secretary of the Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners Association, said the dearth of tourists started to become noticeable a week before the start of Ramadan on March 24.

"Now there are no tourists."

Sharif, owner of Kuakata Guest House, a 39-room property, says: "No tourists are coming to my hotel for the past one week."

"There are 130 good quality hotels and motels in Kuakata and the situation is the same for all of them."

Patuakhali's Kuakata Beach is located on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh and about 5,000 people rely on the local tourism sector.

Their income has fallen sharply for a month as the number of tourists visiting the tourist destination has plunged. 

Industry people say the tourist number usually witnesses a drop in the fasting month. But the decline is sharper this year.

Abdus Shakur, manager of Khan Palace, says there are 50 rooms in the hotel.

"Of them, only two rooms are occupied currently whereas the remaining 48 rooms are empty. As a result, we are failing to generate revenues even to pay salaries to the staff."

"The dearth of tourists may continue till the Eid festival."

Khan Palace is offering 50 per cent discounts on rents to draw tourists. "Still, we are not being able to attract them," Shakur said.

Kuakata Sikder Resort is also offering a 50 per cent discount on room rents.

Its accountant Shahin Alam says there has been the presence of no tourists in the hotel for the past few days.

"The number of tourists has decreased alarmingly even before the month of Ramadan. Every year, the number of tourists usually remains low during Ramadan. But this year the situation is very bad."

Operators who rent out beach chairs with umbrellas as well as photographers were found lazing around on the beach. There are 200 beach chair operators and 35 beach-based photographers there.

Noor Hossain operates 40 beach chairs with umbrellas in Kuakata.

He said: "Since there have been few tourists on the beach even before Ramadan, it has now become difficult for his family to make ends meet."

Almas Ahmed, a photographer, says photographers like him make a living by taking pictures of tourists.

"But there has been almost no income for almost a month amid a lower turnout of tourists."

Apart from the Ramadan effect, higher inflation, which has significantly eroded the purchasing power of people, has also contributed to the fall in the number of tourists.

Inflation in Bangladesh has been at an elevated level since July last year. It jumped to a seven-month high of 9.33 per cent in March as food prices rose and the adjustment of oil, gas, and electricity prices took hold.

Vendors who sell fried fish on the beach are also in trouble due to a lack of tourists. One of them, Bellal Hossain, says tourists usually come and eat fried fish from the evening to midnight.

"This brings me some money to take care of the family. But there have been no tourists on the beach for the last one month."

Hossain, however, hopes that tourists will throng the beach during the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, which will be celebrated later this month.