C T Online Desk: Cox’s Bazar, the world’s longest sea beach, is witnessing a massive influx of tourists due to the combination of the Durga Puja holiday and the weekend, resulting in an extended break for many across the country.
All hotels in Cox’s Bazar have reported full bookings for Friday and Saturday.
With travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts being discouraged, the number of tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar has surged.
Special security measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of visitors.
The four-day break, created by the public holiday for Durga Puja and the weekly weekend, has prompted families to head to the coastal city. Popular tourist spots, including Himchhari, Inani, Daryanagar, and Patuar Tek, are now buzzing with visitors, adding life to these areas.
Speaking at Cox’s Bazar’s Sugandha Point on Friday afternoon, tourists Shahriar, Rumel, and Rumor from Mohammadpur, Dhaka, said they, along with 20 friends and their families, had come to enjoy the vacation. They said that the cool sea water was helping them beat the heat.
Tourists from Dinajpur, including Nahida, Sumi, and Faisal, expressed their joy at being able to visit Cox’s Bazar after a long time, despite the current situation in the country. They mentioned that they were able to forget their work stress and unwind.
Former president of the Tour Operators Association, S M Kibria, said: “Many tourists have traveled to Cox’s Bazar through us. Due to the discouragement of travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, more tourists are coming here. If St Martin’s Island were accessible, our bookings would have been even higher.”
Moukhem Khan, president of the Cox’s Bazar Kalatali Marine Drive Road Hotel Motel Owners’ Association, said that all hotels were fully booked on Friday and Saturday. While Thursday and Sunday had slightly fewer bookings, the overall business outlook is positive.
Cox’s Bazar, home to over 450 hotels, motels, and guest houses, including 50 star-rated hotels, has seen full bookings at these top-tier establishments. Vice President of the Hotel Owners’ Association, Abdul Qayum Chowdhury, confirmed the surge in bookings.
Rashedul Islam Dalim, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Restaurant Owners’ Association, said, “We have around 350 restaurants, and all are open and doing business after a long time. Many restaurants had been closed due to poor business, but we expect an improvement moving forward.”
Tourism industry’s resilience
Abul Kashem Sikdar, president of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel Motel Guest House Owners’ Association, expressed optimism about the future of the tourism sector, saying” “By the grace of Allah, our business is picking up. This holiday season, we’ve had good bookings, and we hope to recover from past losses.”
Abdul Kader Mishu, director of the star-rated hotel Ocean Paradise Limited, said: “Tourism businesses are at a breaking point. Running a company on loans without regular business is like raising an elephant. Since 2012, for various reasons, we’ve had to endure periods of no tourists, even during peak seasons. However, we’re always ready to serve travelers. We’ve achieved 95% bookings during this four-day holiday, with 80-85% of rooms booked until October 19.”
To entice tourists, Ocean Paradise has extended its popular Hilsa festival until October 20. “Originally planned for three days, the festival was extended due to high demand. Visitors can enjoy eight different Hilsa dishes at an affordable price,” Mishu added.
Enhanced security and monitoring
Tourist police, along with the army, are working to ensure the safety of visitors in Cox’s Bazar. Superintendent of the Tourist Police Cox’s Bazar Region, Al Asad Muhammad Mahfuzul Islam, PPM, said: “We are using IT-based monitoring and continuous patrolling to ensure the safety of tourists.”
Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin said that, due to the large number of tourists during the holiday, the district administration’s tourism cell has implemented special monitoring measures. A mobile court has also been established to ensure tourists are not harassed.
