Businesses heave sigh of relief as tourism reopens

Businesspeople have heaved a sigh of great relief as various tourist resorts, hotels, motels and amusement parks are going to reopen from Thursday.

The places of tourist attractions can be abuzz with tourists and the government move will boost the tourism industry once again. And the country’s tourism-related economy will turn around particularly at the early days of the tourism season. That is why businessmen are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after a big hiatus induced by the Covid-19.

 The business insiders said that the long-term closure of the tourism sector has directly and indirectly caused a loss over Tk 15,000 crore. If the various tourist areas, hotel-motels and amusement parks are kept open, it may be possible to gradually recover from the damage they have suffered.

Abul Kashem Shikder, secretary of Cox’s Bazar’s Federation of Tourism Services Association of Bangladesh, told The Business Post that the businessmen are ready to welcome tourists in hotels, motels and entertainment centers in compliance with the government’s health guidelines and regulations. Advanced bookings have started in hotels and motels.

He said that they don’t want any more restrictions. They have suffered a lot in this prolonged shutdown. The government should vaccinate everyone and force them to follow strict hygiene rules. If policymakers wanted the tourism industry sustain, they shouldn’t slap restrictions on the sector further. 

Tourism Resort Industries Association of Bangladesh (TRIAB) President Khabir Uddin Ahmed told The Business Post that they made a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by meeting with all stakeholders and circulated it. They will follow the SOP.    

He said, “Due to lockdown and restrictions, we have incurred a loss of Tk15,000 to Tk20,000 crore for lack of business in this tourism sector. But now we are seeing the ray of hope to make up the losses by opening this sector.”

“If it is interrupted again then there are doubts whether we will be able to stand up again. So this sector has to be in operation,” Khabir added.

Eti Laila Kazi, a private university teacher, said, “We are a three-member family. We have become bored by our child’s online classes and our jobs for a long time. We have been planning a trip to shake off the suffocation but a lingering lockdown kept us locked back at home.”

She has come to know that the tourism sector would be reopening from Thursday. They are now planning to visit Cox’s Bazar— home to the longest sea beach in the world. They would book the hotel soon, taking leave from the office, she said.

Probir Kumar Saha, managing director of Dream Holiday Park and general secretary of Bangladesh Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (BAAPA) told The Business Post that all kinds of preparations have been made to open the park.

We have developed a standard operating procedure in collaboration with Tourism and International Association of Amusement Parks for the safety of visitors, he said.