Community-based tourism awaits reopening

Tourism activities centring the Manipuri community in Kamalganj of Moulvibazar await resumption though the government has opened all tourist destinations after a series of Covid-19-induced lockdown.

Community-based Tourism is one of the pioneering initiatives from the Bangladesh Tourism Board to enable tourists to explore the culture, tradition, ethnic heritage, language, rituals of different communities of Bangladesh.

Comparatively a new idea, community-based tourism is a kind of tourism in which local residents invite tourists to visit their communities with a provision of overnight accommodation.

To facilitate the ethnic community consisting of 80 people from 30 families residing in the Manipuripara, the Bangladesh Tourism Board and the Moulvibazar district administration declared the community at Majhergaon of Adampur of the upazila, as a tourism destination in 2018.

The prolonged pandemic-induced restrictions kept the tourist-destination shut and the families living in Majhergaon are suffered a lot as tourism is the only source to their livelihood.

The Manupuri community is also renowned for its distinctive homemade crafts and handmade textiles, such as khami, shawl, sari, bedsheets and bags. Each of these ten houses in the community owns traditional handlooms weave their clothes. They also produce these distinctive textiles for tourists and exhibit them in front of their homes for sale, which is the main source of their income.

A spot visit to village by this correspondent found Manipuri people struggling with their livelihood and anxious about their future.

Usually, the community provides the tourists with all the amenities they require such as food, toiletries, and arrangements to make their stay blissful. But whatever they stored for the tourists got ruined as no tourist visited them for the past one year and a half, they said.

Shanto Debi, a member of the community, said the village was an excellent opportunity to understand Manipuri socio-cultural heritage of a millennium.

“Tourists empower us financially and promote our culture too. It also improves cross-cultural bonding,” she said.

“Although the government resumed tourism in other areas from August 19, we have decided not to host tourists until 60 per cent people of the community members get vaccinated so that we can save us from Covid-19,” said Shato Debi.

“However, the pandemic has taken a toll on the community. Each of these families incurs a loss of Tk 30,000 each month, which is a massive blow for them,” said Shanto.

Ranjita Debi, another member of the community, told The Business Post, “We have produced a large amount of products in the past one year and a half, and they are getting damaged slowly.

“Despite we suffered a lot for the tourism ban, we will abide by the rules our leaders have set. It must be for our own.”

Niranjan Singha Raju, president of the Community Tourism Association of Manipuripara, said, “Community tourism is all about blending in with the lifestyle of a particular area. We invite tourists to our households and serve them with sincere hospitality.”

Resuming the service still poses a threat to spread of Covid-19 infection among the community members, he said adding that is why they decided to keep their operation suspended until the Covid-19 situation improves.

He told The Business Post that the committee had faced a loss worth Tk 50 lakh during the pandemic.

Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Mir Nahid Ahsan told The Business Post that considering all the challenges associated with Covid-19 the government has lifted the travel ban. “We are monitoring the situation with utmost sincerity. The Manipuri leaders’ decision to protect their people is praiseworthy, and we would do the same if the Covid-19 situation worsens.”