Tourist spots abuzz with visitors

This year Eid-ul-Azha holiday lasted for a short while compared to most of the previous years but still people crowded various recreation centers and tourist spots including Cox’s Bazar Beach to celebrate the vacation.

However, most of the people did not follow the hygiene rules amid spike in Covid-19 infection cases across the country.

Cox’s Bazar tourism industry insiders said hotels, resorts and restaurants were set to do business of over Tk100 crore during the Eid holiday. But this time the inflation and rise in Covid-19 cases might reduce this amount.

There are more than 500 hotels, motels, resorts and guest houses in Cox’s Bazar where around 40-50 per cent of them were occupied during the vacation, according to industry people.

They said businesses lost thousands of crores of taka in 2020-2021 due to the Covid-19 shutdowns and restrictions. This holiday rush will help them recover somewhat from that loss.

Cox’s Bazar Federation of Tourism Services Association of Bangladesh’s Secretary Abul Kashem Shikder told The Business Post as people this time visited Kuakata Beach more to see the Padma Bridge tourists were less compared to the number the sport usually sees.

Meanwhile, the number of tourists at Patuakhali’s Kuakata Beach has increased this time.

Banker Hamidur Rahman said it was very difficult to cross the Padma River on a ferry as well as some other rivers to reach Kuakata in Patuakhali. Harassments and difficulties mounted after the inauguration of the Padma Bridge.

Hotel Mohona International Ltd Manager Shamim Hossain told The Business Post that their hotel’s 90 per cent rooms were booked during holidays.

Rumman Imtiaz, President of Tour Operators Association of Kuakata (TOAK), said interest in Kuakata had grown since the launching of the Padma Bridge.

This time tourists are also coming from Chittagong, Manikganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Tangail and Jamalpur.

On the other hand, on the day and second day of Eid, the tourist spots of Khagrachari were crowded with tourists. However, the number of local tourists visiting the district was more than outsiders.

Abu Ibrahim, who came from Dhaka, visited the Khagrachari during the Eid holidays. He said he was very happy to see natural beauty from the tops of hills. He especially enjoyed the mysterious Alutila cave.

The suspension bridge at the District Council Horticultural Park has also attracted him.

Besides that, people and children also gathered at Bangladesh National Zoo and National Botanical Garden.

Ten-year-old and a fourth grader Sayan Rahman told The Business Post he went there with his parents and little sister. He saw tiger and lion on TV but he was very happy to see real tiger and lion.

Recently married Lina and Majid visited the Botanical Garden and said they went there to pass some quality time from the busy life under shades of green trees inhaling fresh oxygen.

However, the number of tourists has decreased this time due to the floods in different districts of Sylhet, the business insider said.