Tourist turnout at Bandarban's attractions remained lower than expected during the seven-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday, with tourism operators attributing the decline to extreme heat and intermittent rainfall.
While Bandarban typically sees a surge in visitors during Eid holidays, tourist destinations across the hill district witnessed comparatively thin crowds this year. As a result, many hotels, motels and resorts reported low occupancy rates.
Popular attractions, including Meghla, Nilachal, Shailpropat, Chimbuk, Nilgiri, Debotakhum and several tourist spots in the district's six other upazilas saw fewer visitors than usual.
Rajib Barua, owner of Hotel Orchid in Bandarban town, said many rooms remained vacant during the holiday period.
"Compared to last year, tourist arrivals were lower this time, leaving a significant number of rooms unoccupied," he said.
The lower tourist turnout also affected transport operators. Many tourist vehicles remained parked at bus terminals due to a lack of passengers, while boat operators on the Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers in Thanchi reported fewer visitors.
Suman, a tourist vehicle driver, said some vehicles carried tourists to various destinations during Eid, but many remained idle for most of the holiday period.
Bandarban is home to a wide range of attractions, including Nilachal, Meghla, the Golden Temple, Shailpropat, Prantik Lake, Chimbuk Hill, Nilgiri, Debotakhum, Boga Lake, Keokradong, Tazing Dong, Raja Pathar, Remakri Waterfall, Mirinja Valley and Ali Tunnel.
To encourage tourism during the holiday, the district administration reduced entry fees at several government-managed tourist sites, including Meghla, Nilachal, Prantik Lake and Chimbuk, on May 28 and 29. However, the initiative did not significantly increase visitor numbers.
Tourism stakeholders and local officials said Bandarban remains a peaceful district and that authorities continue to prioritize the safety and security of visitors.
Additional Deputy Commissioner SM Manjurul Haque said tourists were encouraged to explore attractions across different upazilas of the district.
"The security situation in Bandarban is better than in many other districts, and the administration takes special measures during public holidays to ensure the safety of tourists," he said.
Deputy Commissioner Md Saniul Ferdous said the reduced entry fees were introduced to make travel more affordable and attract more visitors during the Eid holiday.