Bangladesh's tourism industry is set to suffer badly due to the looming political uncertainty after the Eid holidays, as tourists from home and abroad have started to cancel their bookings at hotels and resorts across the country.
The country's tourism business peaks around Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslim community, which is expected to be celebrated on Friday this year.
However, tour operators and hoteliers are apprehending little to no return on their investments this season.
"The situation is very bad," said Hasan Mansur, founder of The Guide Tours Ltd and president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh. "Fear of political turmoil in the run up to the general elections has resulted in a lull in the industry," he said.
Mansur, a pioneer of tourism in Bangladesh,said his company expected more than 20% fewer tourists this season.
Around 2,500 foreign visitors have already cancelled their trips to this country since January due to the ongoing political unrest, causing an estimated revenue loss of Tk500m to the national exchequer, he said.
"Foreign tourists no longer think Bangladesh is a safe place for holidaymakers, due to the political violence over the past several months," Mansur added.
He said the local people of popular tourist spots, like Cox's Bazar, will be affected the most by the fall in tourism,as it is the main source of "bread and butter" for them.
Abul Quasem, general secretary of the Chittagong Hotel Owners' Association, said bookings had fallen sharply by almost 50% this Eid season, compared to the same period a year ago.
“The hotel business is in distress," he said. “Withdrawal of booking orders by both foreign and local visitors to avoid the post-Eid political chaos has made the situation worse."
Around 200 hotels, motels and guest houses _ with an accommodation capacity of 40,000 _at Cox' Bazar, the sea resort boasting the world's longest beach, are usually fully booked a fortnight ahead of the Eid holidays.
"But this time, the scenario has changed. Even after rate cuts by many hoteliers in order to lure in visitors with all-inclusive packages,rooms are lying vacant," Quasem said.
"Hotels are making appealing offers, but that is not the issue here. For many visitors, it is a matter of security amidst looming political upheaval," he said.
Tareq Mortaza, chief executive of Tour Plus, said he had to cancel 16 booking orders recently. He also blamed political unrest for taking its toll on the tourism industry.
The uncertainty, meanwhile, has forced the country's affluent people to opt for holiday destinations in neighbouring countries, like India, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Sumon, an executive at the Contralink travel agency, said tickets of all airlines were sold out until August 18.
"Domestic political violence does not deter the well-off holidaymakers from going abroad," he said.
Bangladesh's travel and tourism sector raked in Tk182.5bn in 2011, making up 2.2% of the country's gross domestic product, according to a World Travel & Tourism Council study.
The country has around 220 tour operators, employing more than 25,000 people directly or indirectly.
Foreign tourist arrivals in Bangladesh stood at 199,000 in 2000, according to a report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Their number rose by 56.25% over the decade to 303,000 in 2010, it said.