Braving health risks, tourists have started thronging the holiday resorts across the country in their desperate bid to relieve of their monotony of staying back at home for long five months due to coronavirus.
People bogged down by lockdown, have become psychophysically drained and were looking for lax stay home policy so that they can breathe open air.
Once got it, the exhausted people stormed out of their home and arrived at tourist spots. But people around the resorts are yet to give the revellers a warm welcome.
According to experts, coronavirus hazards are likely to increase in consequence of such ignorance. Meanwhile, people are reluctant to abide by restrictions although tourist spots have been opened subject to compliance with some restrictions related to health safety. Those concerned with tourism have said that tourist spots have been opened in order to save lives of nearly four million people involved with tourism industry.
Few days back major tourist attractions of the country including Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Kuwakata, Patenga did not have a single tourist. Now these places have begun to be filled up with the influx of tourists.
However, tourist spots of the Sundarbans and Sylhet are yet to open.
Bangladesh Tourism Board has ordered the hotels-motels and tourist spots to comply with 13 to 16 health safety measures. But majority of tourists have shown reluctance over such compliance.
Although provision of fine is there for not complying with health safety measures but the tendency of not complying is dominating.
On the other hand, tour operators and others concerned with hotel and resort business are saying that everything is going on in line with the health safety measures.
Founder of Boundule Travel and Tourism Abu Bakar Siddiqui said that having awareness issues in mind they are operating in small groups for the time being. Complying with health safety measures they are trying to arrange tours amid coronavirus pandemic. They are very much hopeful as far as responses received so far are concerned.
Abu Bakar Siddiqui said to have completed number of tours in the meantime. They have plans to operate number of tours in future considering tourists eagerly waiting to travel. They had their last tour in Sitakundu where many people were desirous to accompany them. But due to corona they went to Sitakundu with a small group.
Khandaker Mahfuz said to The Business Post that he went to travel as he was feeling suffocated due to self- confinement for the last five months. He said to have travelled to Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar last week as he could no longer remain in captivity.
It seems that we have to lead our normal life making corona a part of it said another tourist named Shahnaz. She is trying to adjust with the new normal life. She went to travel to get rid of the suffocating situation as she is reluctant to comply with health safety restrictions given the fact that chances of getting infected from staying home is very high due to movement of people around braving health hazard.
Manager of a three star hotel in Cox’s Bazar Md. Sumon said that they are renting only 40 percent of their rooms due to corona whereas they had all the rooms booked in the past. They have taken necessary measures for avoiding congestion.
They are discouraging the tourists to have meals in the dining and sending the meals to respective rooms of the tourists instead. Md Sumon also said to have stipulated time limit as far as buffet and other dining packages are concerned in order to avoid congestion in a particular place. They are not allowing anyone to enter into the hotel without wearing mask and also measuring body temperature of the guests. Besides, all employees of the hotel have been imparted training on health safety issues.
Toufique Rahman Secretary General of Bangladesh chapter of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) said that some of the tourist spots have been opened for the sack of life and livelihood.
He told The Business Post that tourist spots are being opened worldwide subject to the compliance with health safety measures. However, some tourist spots in Europe have been closed after opening due to an increase in coronavirus infection. Such possibility of re-closure is also present in Bangladesh. In order to avoid such outcome, those who are going different tourist spots have to confirm their health safety above everything.
Replying to a question Toufique Rahman said that almost four million people are involved with travel and tourism. There was no alternative of opening the tourist spots due to the issues of life and livelihood of those concerned. A survey carried out by them reveals that almost 6 to 7 lakh people have become unemployed till date since February and those working are doing it without pay. Therefore, they have decided to open the tourist spots partly for the sack of livelihood.
According to public health experts rate of infection has increased in the border areas despite a reduction in some regions after Eid. The experts opine that we are still in the danger of severe contamination as we are unable to carry out sufficient numbers of tests and 80 percent infected people have no symptom of the disease.
People are travelling from one place to another after the opening of the tourist spots. As these travelers reluctant to abide by health safety measures, the tourist spots have to be strict as far as compliance with health safety measures are concerned.
The health experts also said that as far as tourism is concerned people with more infected areas will go to less infected areas causing an increase in the rate of infection. However, we cannot foresee how worse the situation could be as it requires some more time. We will have a clear picture of the worsening scenario with a much increased death rate and symptoms.
Government directives for ensuring health safety of general people include: disposal of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) used by the tourists in a prescribed manner, seating in the dining table maintaining a distance of three feet, seating arrangement in the coaches carrying tourists with a seat apart, training facility for the tour guides and restaurant workers and overall waste management in the kitchen.
Mobile courts, tourist police and District administration are working in the tourist spots to check whether health safety measures are complied with or not.
Statistics say that so far tourism sector has suffered losses worth nearly 14 thousand crore taka. However, the concerned hope that the tourist spots will get back to life with the arrival of the tourists.
aa/wi
