Tourism service-providers and investors wait for the peak season to make the big bucks and cover the overhead costs of the lean season. But that remains just a dream. They have to realise the hard truth: Man proposes but God disposes. This same time last year, political unrest broke out centring the national polls. Tour operators, hoteliers, and resort owners became burdened with heavy losses. Many of the service-providers got distressed and were forced to fall into debt.
This year, in quite the same manner, the tourism business is witnessing a grim scenario in the country. Service-providers are receiving overwhelming numbers of phone calls to cancel confirmed bookings. Owner of Bengal Tours, Mr Masud said: “Tourists are cancelling all the confirmed bookings. Our important Japanese groups have cancelled their confirmed bookings, and all other groups are rescheduling itineraries. This is giving a bad impression of the country to international tourists.”
It has also been reported by different media agencies that in the popular tourist destination Cox’s Bazar, the hotels are seeing very few numbers of guests, although this is the tourist season. The hotels that normally witness an average of 60-65% room occupancy during this season, now have only 10-12% occupancy due to the blockade, according to the unit Manager of Motel Probal in Cox’s Bazar.
The tourism industry is being severely harmed due to the ongoing non-stop blockade. Both foreign and domestic tourists are afraid of going to tourist destinations, which results in great losses for tour operators as well as the local poor people around the sites.
When tourists move from one site to another, they spend money on food, transport, accommodation, and buy souvenirs. But the non-stop countrywide strike invariably associated with violence is forcing tourists to stay inside the hotels. Mr Toufique Rahman said: “Many international tourist-sending-companies think strikes are very frequent here, so they are rethinking sending tourists until the situation improves in the country.”
Many domestic tourists may have planned to visit different tourist spots like Cox’s Bazar, St Martin’s, Rangamati, Sylhet, and other popular tourist areas, but they are afraid to move. Tour operators are losing business as foreign tourists are cancelling their prior-bookings.
“It’s a great loss for my resort. Tourists feel unsafe to make journeys during strikes and blockades. There is no earning as tourists are not coming …” said Mr Khabir Uddin, Chairman of Arunima Eco-resort in Narail district and the president of Tourism Resort Industries Association of Bangladesh (TRIAB), heaving a great sigh as he narrated the situation.
Mr James Babu Hazra, Managing Director of Pebble-stone, located at Inani beach of Cox’s Bazar said: “My occupancy report is almost zero, and I am not able to pay staff salary.” Mr Ekram Razu, convenor of Inbound Tour Operators Association said the non-stop blockade has already taken a great toll on the tourism industry. His company has already incurred a huge loss. This is the peak of the tourist season.
Tour operators, hoteliers, and travel agents of the country earn their net profit this season. But this non-stop strike and violence hinders their businesses. According to the WTTC, a total of 2.3 million people are involved in the tourism industry of Bangladesh in some capacity, with around 1.5 million directly involved.
All these people are puzzled on what to do, as the tourist season is almost nearing its end. They did not have the expected business. Besides, the tourists who are leaving the country with a bad experience may not make repeated visits, and may discourage others from visiting the country. This is also tarnishing the image of the country.
With this bad image, it will be difficult to invite foreign investment in the tourism sector of the country. Our government is being deprived of a huge revenue-earner because of the current situation. Hence, for the sake of the tourism industry and the country, we must think of alternatives to non-stop strikes and violence. We should also keep tourist vehicles out of the purview of any strike.
Ziaul Haque Howlader is Deputy Manager of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.