Tourists fall steeply in Kuakata

Tourism-centric businesses in Patuakhali’s Kuakata are in trouble as there are hardly any tourists visiting the attraction during Ramadan.

Since the beginning of Ramadan, tourism-centric business in this beach town is dwindling.

Due to this, hotels and motels are offering concessions to attract tourists. However, the residential hotels are failing to attract tourists even with a 50 per cent discount on their services.

According to tourism-related sources, there was a shortage of available rooms in residential hotels during the holidays at the beginning of the year. Many tourists used to take shelter in nearby houses under community tourism while others have spent the night in tents, on buses, or on beach benches.

However, the tables have turned in a matter of a few weeks. Many small traders are opting to not open shops due to a lack of tourists. As a result, low-income people associated with the tourism sector are in dire straits.

During an on-spot visit to Kuakata Beach, this correspondent found only a handful of tourists scattered about. Three policemen were sitting in front of the tourist police box in the Zero Point area at the beach.

Ride-share drivers were seen chatting by the beach leaving their vehicles parked. Beach photographers were seen idling similarly. A tourist couple Kawsar Ahmed and Lima Akhtar came to visit the beach from Gazipur.

“This is my first time in Kuakata. The environment here is very good. It was nice to walk around in the charming atmosphere of the beach. But because there are no tourists, everything seems empty,” said Kawsar.

Zero Point Beach, Lebur Bon, Shutki Palli, Laal Kakrar Char, Misripara Buddhist Temple, Kauwarchar, and Gangamati are all lacking in visitors. Only a few food carts by the roads were open for business.

Shutki market, Jhinuk market Rakhine women’s market and the beach’s floating shops were void of the usual crowd of buyers.

Bellal Hossain, a beach photographer, said that before Ramadan, the average daily income was Tk 800-1,200.

“Now I am hardly making Tk 200-300 per day. And with the prices of daily commodities on the rise, I do not know how I will shop for Eid,” he said.

Fuchka seller Nizam Uddin said, his daily earnings were some Tk 1,200-1,500 before Ramadan, which has now come down to Tk 300-500 per day.

Md Ibrahim, a ride-share motorcycle driver, said that before Ramadan he used to earn Tk 1,000-1,500 per day but currently his daily income is Tk 300-400.

“I used to sell Tk 4,000-5,000 worth of souvenirs per day. But nowadays there are very few tourists and I can hardly sell Tk 500 worth of products now,” said Shah Alam, a small businessman in the area.

Residential Hotel Sea View’s Manager Solaiman Faraji said, “We are offering a 50 per cent discount on all available rooms. Almost all the hotels in the area are offering similar discounts since the beginning of this month.”

Abul Hossain Raju of Green Tourism said that every year the number of tourists decreases during the month of Ramadan.

“This time of the year is usually a rough season for the tourism sector. At this time, businessmen decorate their establishments to welcome the tourists who visit during the Eid holidays,” he said.

Kuakata Tourism Management Association’s general secretary Hossain Amir said, “It is common for there to be a lack of tourists during the month of Ramadan. Decoration work is going on in hotels and motels given the upcoming the Eid holidays.”

Abdul Motaleb Sharif, general secretary of Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners Association, said that tourists have decreased since the beginning of Ramadan. “During this time, our hotels are preparing to serve the tourists coming for Eid by making new accessories including furniture.”

Kuakata Tourist Police Zone Police Inspector Hasnain Parvez said the flow of tourists is currently very low. However, they are vigilant about providing full security to the tourists who are currently visiting Kuakata.