In spite of December being the peak month for tourists flocking in large numbers, the district’s tourism prospects have dried up in light of the upcoming 11th general election.
The hospitality and tourism industry are incurring huge losses.
Inspecting the famous Hanging Bridge revealed that lack of tourists has left scores of boatmen idle, with no work to speak of.
Usually, every other year, Kaptai Lake is swarming with thousands of tourists in the month of December. But this year, the polls have had an adverse affect on tourism. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Shafiul Azam, owner of Hotel Moti Mahal, said tourists from across the country usually visit Rangamati in December,but due to the polls they don’t have a high turnout and turnover of visitors this year.
He added this is evident from massive vacancies at their hotel. Manager of Hotel Needs Hill View, Lutfor Rahman, said some rooms were occupied in November but now almost all their rooms are running vacant.
Salespeople of the textile market are also sitting idle. Anupam Tripura, owner of Nakib Handicrafts in Tabalchari, said usually their sales range between Tk20,000-30,000 per day for the month of December, but this year it has been non-existent.
Md Ramzan Ali, senior vice president of Rangamati Parjatan Nou-Ghaat Malik Samity, said their wharf has 100 tourist boats but due to the elections, they are facing losses as high as Tk5,000,000 annually.
He said if the post-election situation is peaceful, then perhaps tourists would visit Rangamati and they would be able to recuperate their losses.
Md Imran, a tourist from Chittagong, said he was disappointed not to find any tourists in Rangamati.
Manager of Rangamati Parjatan Complex, Sujan Bikash Barua, said last year Tk52,00,000 was earned as tourism revenue, but this year it is only Tk37,00,000. Various development agencies have also cancelled their bookings in the district due to the polls, he added, which would have brought in another Tk15,00,000. l
