-There are very few tourists in tourist spots
-Same situation in Sylhet for three months
-Losses of Tk hundreds of millions
‘If this situation continues, this sector will face a long-term crisis. We were in more trouble due to lack of internet.’
Syed Habib Ali, Proprietor, Sundaran Tourism Plus
The ongoing situation of the country has affected the tourism sector. The 'quota reform movement' of ordinary students has made a huge impact among tourists. Therefore tourists are not going to the sightseeing places of the country. This effect is more noticeable especially in mountain and sea tourist spots.
This potential tourism sector is under threat in the current turbulent situation of the country. Businessmen and tourism related people of those regions are in trouble. Commercial activities have been developed around tourism in various sightseeing places of the country. There has been a crisis in the financial sector of the country for several days due to various reasons including continuous agitation and floods.
Those concerned in the tourism sector said that if the current crisis in the country is not resolved, there is a fear that the tourism sector will face more problems. The investment in this sector is several Tk thousands of crore. Besides, tourism industry is directly related to restaurant, rent-a-car, and cottage industry businesses. The livelihood of millions of local people revolves around the tourist centers. Some transport tourists by boat, while others make a living by doing business with small investments in tourist centers.
Sylhet's tourist spots are in the worst condition. There have been three floods since last May. The anti-quota movement is at a standstill across the country before the flood wounds are cut. Tourists have not been seen in Sylhet for the past three months.
The country's tourism officials said that during this busy season of tourism including Eid-ul-Azha, the tourism industry has lost more than Tk five hundred crores in Sylhet division. In the ongoing situation, the hotels are struggling to pay the electricity bill and salary of the officers and employees at the end of the month. Businessmen there are thinking that there is no alternative to government incentives to save Sylhet's tourism sector.
Kuakata Beach, one of the largest tourist spots in the country, is almost empty of tourists. Tourism related businessmen are having a lazy time. Most of the hotel authorities have given leave to the employees. Concerned people think that it will take a long time to overcome this ongoing crisis.
Earlier, Kuakata beach was crowded with tourists during the weekend, but since last Friday, the number of tourists has dropped to zero. There has been silence in the tourist town of Kuakata for 5 consecutive days since last Saturday. There are empty umbrella-benches on the beach. Businessmen involved in 18 professions related to tourism including motorbikes, photographers, speed boat-seaboat drivers, oyster-pickles, fish-fry traders are spending idle time. They are disappointed as the beach is empty of tourists.
Hundreds of resorts, guest houses and hotels, motels have been built in Sylhet around this economic sector. But flood started in Sylhet from last May. The tourist centers were repeatedly closed due to three rounds of floods. Tourists turned away from Sylhet due to the increase in water and current in the river and restrictions imposed by the administration. Tourists started coming to Sylhet from the second week of this month as the flood situation improved and restrictions were lifted. Tourism businessmen started dreaming of standing again. But that dream disappeared in the anti-quota movement. Due to the anti-quota reform movement across the country and subsequent clashes and curfews, the tourism business came to a complete halt.
Some hoteliers of Sylhet told the media that even though the tourist business decreases throughout the country during the monsoon season, Sylhet has the highest number of tourists. Nature gets rejuvenated in monsoon, which increases the beauty of the nature-based tourist centers of Sylhet. As a result, tourists from all over the country tend to visit Sylhet at that time. But this time, tourists were not seen in Sylhet due to flood and quota movement. Even the tourist centers of Sylhet were closed on Eid-ul-Azha due to floods. As a result, most of the hotels in Sylhet are empty of tourists for the last three months.
Cox's Bazar, where there is a huge traffic of tourists at this time, no tourist could go there for the past week. On the contrary, many people are trapped. Due to this unstable situation, every sector including hotel-motel, restaurant has suffered due to tourist drought. The amount of loss has increased.
Businessmen related to tourism told the mass media that due to the current situation, we are facing losses due to the lack of tourists. We will have trouble paying electricity bills and other bills.
General Secretary of Cox's Bazar Hotel-Motel Guest House Owners Association Salim Uddin told Ganamadhya, "We want this situation to pass and the public to feel relieved." Besides, the government will take steps to protect the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, the fountains of Rangamati come alive during the monsoon season. Nature has returned to its original form. But still this city of the darkness of natural beauty has become devoid of tourists. Hotel-motel, tourist boat, house boat, cottage owners and other tourism related people are facing loss due to this.
President of Rangamati Chamber of Commerce Md Abdul Wadud said that the current situation has caused a loss of about four crore rupees in the tourism related sector.
The same is the case with Bandarban, the queen of natural beauty. There is already a tourist drought due to the anti-terror operation of the joint forces. And due to the current situation, traffic is stopped in this district without tourists. Same picture in Khagrachari. No tourist crowd. It is thought among businessmen. Tourism officials hope that the situation will be normalized soon. Every tourist spot will be crowded with tourists. Vitality will return everywhere.
Syed Habib Ali, owner of Sundaran Tourism Plus, said to The Daily Post, "We are in a lot of trouble. If such anarchy continues, this sector will face a long-term crisis." We are facing more problems due to lack of internet. We are unable to conduct any activities.
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