Massive offers to draw tourists, concerns centering national polls

The winter tourism season has begun in the country. Travel and tourism usually see the highest demand at this time of year.

People involved in the sector said tourists are again preferring Cox’s Bazar and the hill districts as their main destinations this year. The Sundarbans has gained popularity as a new destination. Demand for travel to Saint Martin’s Island and Sylhet has declined because of various restrictions and travel difficulties.

Discussions with businesses in the sector show that they have come up with various offers and promotion, including discounts, to attract tourists. Operators also arrange different package tours for foreign tourists. Last year, the tourism business faced some negative impact because of political unrest, deterioration of law and order, and various restrictions. With the situation largely normal this year, businesses in the tourism sector expect to do well.

To attract tourists, hotels, motels and resorts are offering various types of discounts this season. Resorts in Sylhet and Sreemangal offer 20 to 55 per cent discounts depending on weekdays and holidays. Balishira Resort and Novem Eco Resort in Sreemangal offer 20 to 30 per cent discounts, while the website of Grand Sultan mentions discounts of up to 55 per cent. There are around 200 hotels, motels and resorts in Sreemangal. They offer discounted rates under different packages, including honeymoon packages.

Sajek in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati district is a very popular destination for tourists. Most resorts there offer 20 to 50 per cent discounts. Meghkabya Hilltop Cottage, Meghpalli and Dimo’s Sajek Valley Hotel and Resort offer 20 to 50 per cent discounts. They have various types of packages. In addition, the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation offers discounts of up to 30 per cent.

Cox’s Bazar and Saint Martin’s Island are two of the country’s leading tourist destinations. Many travellers visit both places in a single trip. There was a government ban on travelling to Saint Martin’s Island for the past nine months. Although the ban was lifted on 1 November, tourists may only visit the island during the daytime this month. They will be allowed to stay overnight in December and January. However, no more than an average of two thousand tourists per day may travel there. Another nine-month ban will then resume. Because of this, hotel and resort owners said accommodation costs for overnight stays on Saint Martin’s Island will be higher this year.

There are about four hundred and fifty hotels, resorts and cottages in Cox’s Bazar. Reservations have already begun. To attract tourists, they are offering 20 to 40 per cent discounts. However, business owners indicated that the discounts may be reduced if tourist numbers rise in December.

When contacted, Mukim Khan, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel Resort Owners Association, said, ‘Most hotels and resorts had satisfactory profits during the tourism season last year. We expect good business this year as well. Since, there are certain sets of rules for traveling Saint Martin’s Island is these days, the pressure on Cox’s Bazar may increase.’

In Sylhet, tourist presence is usually higher during the winter and monsoon seasons. If hotels and motels in Sylhet do well, the government earns an average revenue of Tk 15 million per month. However, due to political unrest, tourist numbers in Sylhet were low during last year’s monsoon season. Although business picks up during the winter season.

Local hotel and motel operators said that repair work is currently underway on the Dhaka–Sylhet highway. As a result, traffic jams last for hours, turning a 4–6 hour journey into a 16–18 hour one. The state of the local Sylhet–Tamabil highway is also poor. Consequently, tourists face difficulties travelling to Jaflong and Jaintapur. On top of this, airfares on the Sylhet route are very high, and train tickets are not always available. These factors have led to a decline in tourist numbers in Sylhet.

Cruising to Sundarbans

Relevant said that the Sundarbans is attracting extra interest from tourists this year, although only a limited number of visitors are allowed. There are a few resorts in the Sundarbans for overnight stays. Visitors can tour the Sundarbans during the day by hiring a launch or a large trawler. Another popular option is travelling by cruise or boat. Currently, there are around 60 cruises or boats, large and small, available for Sundarbans tours. A two-night, three-day cruise package costs between Tk 10,000 and 20,000.

Regarding this, A K M Asadur Rahman, chief marketing and revenue officer of C Pearl Beach Resort and Spa Limited, said, ‘For our cruises, 90 per cent of December bookings have already been made in advance.’

Houseboat-centric tourism is becoming increasingly popular among tourists. There are currently around 300 houseboats in the country, of which over two and a half hundred operate in the Tangua haor. The rest operate in Kaptai Lake in Rangamati, Mawa Point on the Padma River, and other areas. The main tourist season for haor-based houseboats is four months from June to September. During the winter season, the haor boats move to the Padma River.

During discussions, it was learned that a trip on a houseboat costs Tk 4,000 to 12,000 per person in Tangua haor, Tk 3,000 to 8,500 in Kaptai Lake, and Tk 1,500 to 3,500 on the Padma River.

Md Arafat Hossain, president of the Houseboat Association of Bangladesh, said, ‘In July–August 2024, haor houseboats were largely without tourists. Again, due to the poor condition of the Sylhet highway, tourist arrivals in the haor were low in August–September this year. We are now trying to attract tourists for the winter season.’

The number of foreign tourists in the country is comparatively low. People involved in the tourism sector said that one of the major obstacles to attracting foreign tourists is the 15 per cent VAT imposed on their total travel expenses. In addition, there is a shortage of good guides for foreign tourists. Various restrictions also apply when travelling in the rivers or hills of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Royal Bengal Tours, a company working with foreign tourists, reported that their profit in the 2023–24 fiscal year was around Tk 1.1 million, which fell to Tk 0.7 million in 2024–25.

Mostafizur Rahman, owner of Royal Bengal Tours, said that existing obstacles need to be removed to attract foreign tourists. In particular, a stable political situation increases the arrival of foreign visitors.

Hopes and concerns ahead of the election

Business owners said that tourist numbers largely depend on three factors: political stability, security, and the transportation system. However, the country’s next general election is scheduled for February 2026. Business owners are concerned about how the political situation will unfold by then. On the other hand, many expatriates and foreign visitors are expected to come to the country for the election. Naturally, they will visit various places, which is expected to boost hotel and motel business.

[Our Sylhet correspondent assisted in preparing the report]