As Omicron wanes, tourism rebounds in Moulvibazar

Moulvibazar, one of the tourist destinations of the country, is coming back to life as tourists have started flocking again as Covid-19 cases dip. 

Every year, thousands of tourists crowd the place during the winter season, but the situation changed in the last two years due to the pandemic. 

Travel agents, hotel operators and restaurateurs say they are seeing dramatic spikes in demand on the weekend.

Hakaluki haor tourist spot Dhaka Tribune

There are currently two five star hotels in Moulvibazar district. One is Dusai Resort & Spa and the other is Grand Sultan Tea Resort & Golf located in the Radhanagar area of Sreemangal upazila.There are also about 200 small and big hotels and resorts in the district.

The main tourist attractions in the district are Tea Garden, Wildlife Service Foundation, Sreemangal Baddhabhumi Ekattor, Deanston Cemetery inside Finlay Tea Garden, Madhabpur Lake, Memorial of Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman, Kalaban, Hamham National Waterfall, Madhabkunda waterfall, Baikka Beel Haor, Hakaluki Haor, Lawachara National Park and various species of wildlife inside the park. 

The tourism situation became somewhat normal after the Covid-19 infection rate dropped. But Moulvibazar became tourist-free due to government restrictions after the infections went up due to the transmission of the Omicron variant. 

The situation is improving again and tourists have started coming, according to tourist officials. 

Tourists flock at the Wildlife Service Foundation in Sreemangal Dhaka Tribune

Delwar Mia, a small trader in front of the gate of Lawachara National Park, said he fell into a crisis situation due to the shortage of tourists.  He used to earn Tk10,000-15,000 but that amount came down to one-fifth due to Covid-19. 

“Now those who come are mostly natives. Foreigners are not coming yet,” he said.

Shamsudoha, manager of a tea resort controlled by the Srimangal Tea Board, said tourists were coming fine as conditions were normal towards the end of the Covid-19. But recently due to Omicron, 1-2 rooms were being booked every day. 

Now that the situation is normal, tourists have started coming again, he said.

Syed Rizvi, a senior tour guide in the district said he became unemployed as there were no tourists to guide. 

The government knows well when the tourism sector will recover in the country, he said.

Tea garden in Moulvibazar Dhaka Tribune

Moulvibazar Tourist Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohammad Nawab Ali, who is engaged in overall security of tourists, said the number of tourists is increasing day by day. “We are continuing our efforts so that tourists can travel without any hindrance,” he said.

Sylhet Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said the revenue has decreased in Lawachara. 

“I think the crowd of foreign tourists will increase again once the situation gets back to normal”, he said.

Moulvibazar has 93 tea gardens out of the total 116 tea gardens in the country. There are more than a hundred tourist spots, big and small in Moulvibazar.