900,000 tourists expected to flock to Cox's Bazar

Cox's Bazar has yet to have an alternative as a travel destination during the Eid holidays. It is the most preferred destination for people from various parts of the country, and this time was no exception.

From several days before the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, 80 to 90 per cent of rooms in hotels, motels, and resorts in Cox's Bazar have been booked in advance.

Hotel owners in Cox's Bazar say that tourists will start arriving from the second day of Eid, March 22nd.

Rooms have been booked continuously for 8 days until 29 March. It is estimated that at least 900,000 tourists will visit during this time.

Over five hundred hotels, resorts, guesthouses, and cottages in the city have been prepared for tourists to stay overnight. Currently, there are a few hundred tourists in the hotels, which is why the entire beach is empty.

Mokim Khan, the general secretary of the Cox's Bazar Hotel Resort Owners' Association, told Prothom Alo that today, Saturday, is the holy Eid-ul-Fitr.

Tourists do not typically arrive on Eid day. However, from the next day, 22 March, tourists will start arriving at the beach. An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 tourists are expected on that day.

From the following day, March 23rd, it is expected that 100,000 tourists will arrive daily. Based on this, more than 900,000 tourists are expected to visit during the 8 days following Eid.

This will revitalise businesses, including shops and restaurants that were closed during the holy month of Ramadan.

Mokim Khan stated that as of 10 AM last Wednesday, more than 95 per cent of rooms have been booked in advance in over 30 star-rated hotels and resorts.

Additionally, 70 per cent of rooms in over five hundred standard hotels, guesthouses, and cottages have been booked in advance. On average, 80 per cent of rooms have been rented.

To attract tourists during Ramadan, a special discount of up to 70 per cent on room rentals was announced. From the day after Eid, this discount has been withdrawn and reduced to a maximum of 20 per cent. The daily capacity of over five hundred hotels, resorts, and guesthouses is around 167,000.

Institutions involved in the tourism business have started preparing to welcome tourists coming during the Eid holidays. On Wednesday, visiting Sugandha beach, it was observed that rental chair vendors are repairing chairs. Various restaurants are undergoing cleaning work. However, the number of lifeguards responsible for overseeing the safety of a large number of tourists has not increased.

Imtiaz Ahmed, the manager of Sea-Safe Lifeguards, told Prothom Alo that although there are 27 lifeguards over the five kilometers from Kolatoli to Laboni Point beach, there are no lifeguards available for rescue operations at Dariyanagar, Himchhari, Inani, Patwarterk, Baharchhara, or Teknaf beaches.

On Wednesday afternoon, visiting several hotels on Kolatoli and Sugandha roads in the city, it was seen that renovation and painting work is ongoing. Mohammed Alam, an employee of a hotel, said that his hotel had 29 employees. Since the first day of Ramadan, 26 employees have been sent on leave. The remaining 3 are in the hotel. All the employees on leave will return in the afternoon on Eid day. From the next day, everyone will be busy attending to tourists.

Kallol, a picturesque star hotel, is located at Laboni Point on the beach. This hotel has about 140 air-conditioned rooms. Starting from the second day of Eid, 90 per cent of the rooms in this hotel have been booked in advance for 6 consecutive days. Similarly, in at least 30 hotels and resorts, including Seagull, Jaltaranga, Cox-to-Day, Sayeman Beach Resort, Mermaid Beach Resort, Ocean Paradise, Bay Watch, and Royal Tulip, 90 per cent of rooms have been booked in advance. Overall, 80 per cent of the rooms have been booked in advance.

Yasir Arafat Rishad, the manager of the eco-friendly ecotourism resort, Mermaid Beach Resort, on the Patchar Island along the Marine Drive, mentioned that 95 per cent of their cottages have been booked in advance for 8 days post-Eid.

During the month of Ramadan, over five hundred restaurants in the city were closed. Mentioning that all restaurants are prepared for the tourists coming during the Eid holidays, Javed Iqbal, the general secretary of the Cox's Bazar Restaurant Owners' Association, said that measures have been put in place to prevent any restaurant from charging extra for food despite the rush of tourists. A price list will be kept on the table.

Abdus Shukkur, president of the Cox's Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, mentioned that at least 1 million tourists are expected during the 8 days of the Eid holidays. This could result in business worth Tk 7 to 8 billion across 13 sectors, including hotels, restaurants, and over 3,000 shops, dried fish, and marine fish.