The tourism industry has been hit hard by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Entrepreneurs are suffering unprecedented losses due to cancellation of bookings amid phases of lockdowns.
A large number of people in the sector have already lost their jobs. As per data from Pacific Asia Travel Association-Bangladesh Chapter as many as 3,09,500 industry people are likely to face job cuts if this situation prevails.
Industry insiders say the impact of global shutdown will continue to negatively affect country's hotels, resorts and aviation companies in the coming years and nobody knows when the situation might get better.
Entrepreneurs in the sector have not given up yet despite being hit hard by the pandemic and continuous losses. Many are resorting to other options including switching businesses and looking for other source of income to survive the crisis and to feed their workers.
As per the data from PATA-Bangladesh Chapter, around 30-40% entreprenuers in the tourism industry have already shifted to various other businesses in order to survive the pandemic.
Those who were forced to shut their businesses due to the pandemic have already started other businesses. One such brave heart, Rafsanjani Rahi, CEO of a tour operating company told The Business Post that he was struggling to pay salaries of his employees after shutting down all four resorts the company operates. To survive the crisis, Rahi decided to engage his agents living in various parts of the country with a new initiave. He started selling products including clarified butter, mustard oil, Sundarban’s honey, farm honey, mango, curd, tea leaf and sweets.
Rahi wanted to both survive the crisis and to serve his customers with hygienic food products. Some regular clients of his tour operating company came forward in support of the initiative as well.
Talking to The Business Post, the entrepreneur also shared the challenges he faced in reaching customers with his products amid restricted movement during lockdowns.
He said reaching door to door is not easy amid coronavirus pandemic as they have to collect goods from various parts of the country and also deliver them in distant locations. Shortage of courier service is making Rahi's work difficult, he said. But he is still sending his goods to his customers through other means. He refuses to give up.
‘Tripmate’ used to sell travel accessories including clothes, raincoat and shoes. Owner of the business Niaz Morshed too had to switch his business due to unabated losses. He chose to supply honey to his customers. He is delivering honey to his regular clients on home-delivery basis. Sometimes Niaz himself is cycling to reach his customers amid the ongoing lockdown.
Niaz said his sources collected honey from various regions of the country including the Sundarbans. Later, he employed his staff to deliver them to the doorsteps of customers.
He is being praised and supported by his regular clients for his dedication and velour effort.
PATA-Bangladesh Chapter Secretary General Taufiq Rahman told The Business Post that the workforce of tourism industry is now struggling to survive. Taufiq Rahman said he himself is now depending fully on his restaurant business as there is no other way of earning a livelihood under the current circumstances.
