Instead of blissful time, tourists face hurdles on holidays

Local tourists face various problems in the popular tourist spots of the country where they rush with family members during long holidays to get rid of the everyday hassle of city life.

During long Eid or Puja holidays, the number of tourist increases several times more in popular destinations like Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata, Rangamati’s Sajek, Bandarban, Sylhet, Sunamganj, and haor areas of Netrokona and Kishoreganj.

Middle-class or lower-middle-class people who cannot afford expensive foreign tour rush to those spots with family members. But instead of passing a peaceful time with family members, they encounter problems like inadequate accommodation facilities and unreasonably high food and other costs.

Recently, people got the opportunity to spend five days on vacation in October. According to media reports, as an overwhelming crowd thronged the country’s popular tourism spots, hotel rent and food prices skyrocketed and many tourists were forced to spend sleepless nights on roads and mosques. Many even returned home to avoid embarrassment, forsaking the hope of passing a blissful time with near and dear ones.

The tourists allege that hotel and resort owners increased the rent several times manipulating the situation.

Banker Nurul Ahad along with five family members went to Cox’s Bazar from Dhaka during the long vacation in October. “I did not book hotel rooms in advance. The hotel owners were charging excessively high rent. We had to return to Dhaka. Everything including food price was several times more than the usual price,” he said.

“Such incidents do not happen in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India or Nepal. But why do our tourist spots struggle to accommodate extra visitors during holidays?” he asked in frustration.

Iftekhar Alam, a student from Dhaka University, went to Cox’s Bazar with some friends at the same time. Failing to manage a hotel room, they were forced to pass the first night sleepless on the sea beach. The next day, they succeeded in managing a room, but the rent was double.

Industry insiders say when people go abroad, they book tickets and hotel rooms in advance. But here domestic tourists do not do that. As a result, during the holidays, they face trouble when thousands of tourists rush without bookings.

Abul Kashem Sikder, general secretary of the Federation of Tourism Owners Association of Bangladesh, said that around 500 hotels, motels and guesthouses in Cox’s Bazar can accommodate more than one lakh tourists. “But during the October holidays, the number of tourists was almost double the capacity, making it impossible to accommodate them all,” he said.

The situation was almost the same in Rangamati’s Sajek during that time.

Rahul Chakma John, organising secretary of Cottage Malik Samity of Sajek, told The Business Post, “Although Sajek’s 112 cottages can accommodate around 2,000-2,500 tourists, twice as many people rushed there during the holidays in October.”

“Many of them did not have bookings and returned in the afternoon. But a good number of tourists were forced to spend the night in verandas of cottages and at the residence of local people,” he added.

Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) President Shiblul Azam Koreshi told The Business Post, “Domestic tourists immediately leave home whenever they get a vacation. Due to a lack of booking, unscrupulous hotel-motel owners get the opportunity to manipulate the situation and double the room rent and food prices. As a result, the tourists suffer.”

He blamed the lack of awareness of domestic tourists for such a crisis and advised them ‘to be aware’.

Rezaul Ekram, president of tourism operator BD Inbound, also echoed the same. “It is very difficult to control the number of tourists without public awareness. Our tourists have to be aware. Visiting tourism spots without booking should be avoided. Besides, the local administration and related authorities should work together to control the tourist flow,” he said.

Recently, Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber said at a programme that the government has a mechanism to control the extra crowd at the Sundarbans and some spots under Archaeology Department.

“But there is no system to control the number of tourists at spots like Jaflong, Bisnakandi, Ratargul, Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata. There is no scope under the law to hinder the movement of tourists,” he said.

“Before the Eid holidays, we advertise in newspapers for public awareness and request not to travel anywhere without booking, but nobody pays heed to us,” Zaber said, adding, “Still, we are discussing and working with the district administrations about how to solve the problem.”