Home ›› 13 Oct 2022 ›› News
Last-minute requisition of hotel rooms or transport vehicles before any holidays has become a trouble for the country’s tourism industry.
Businessmen from the tourism industry said tourists usually travel more during the peak season and holidays. But the requisition of hotel-motel-resort rooms, ships, boats, cars etc. at the eleventh hour before the holidays by the local administrations has compelled them to cancel pre-booked tour programmes.
They said such cancellation of pre-booked tours is affecting the tourism business severely, besides domestic and foreign tourists are also suffering due to this reason.
The businessmen think that negative perception is being created about the tourism industry of Bangladesh for this reason, increasing the tendency of the local tourists to go abroad.
However, in order to stop such requisition, the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) has given a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on Monday.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders say that there is a law of requisition for national or state needs. But if the businessmen and the administration work together, they can get rid of this kind of trouble.
TOAB’s letter stated that Bangladesh tourism depends on seasonal business. The tourist season in the country is usually from the last week of October to the middle of March. Meanwhile, July to October is considered tourist season in the Haor region. Profits earned during these four months cover the whole year's expenses.
Tourists travel more on weekly holidays of Friday and Saturday and if there is a public holiday before or after these two days, the number of tourists increases several times.
But during such holidays, local administrations make last-minute requisitions of hotel rooms or transport vehicles, forcing the tourists to cancel their pre-scheduled bookings. As a result, the hotel, motel, ship and boat owners have to pay fines and damages, the letter said.
The letter requested to take necessary steps to stop the practice of requisition during peak season and holidays.
TOAB's President Shiblul Azam Koreshi told The Business Post, “Requisition by the local administration has increased a lot recently. If the government wants, it can be done for national needs. But members of local administration are doing this for their family members, which is never desirable. So, we have requested them to refrain from such practice during peak season or holidays.”
Bangladesh Tourism Board’s Chief Executive Officer Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber said, “There is a law of requisitioning for national needs. We cannot stop it even if we want to. However, there is a district tourism cell in every deputy commissioner (DC) office. Boat, bus or hotel owners inform the cell when they are booked.
“If the DC needs to requisition, he would check the information of the tourism cell whether the hotel room or the car is already booked. If already booked, he should not requisition,” he said, adding, “A way must be found so that the tourist is not harmed. We are working to solve the issue.”
Seeking anonymity, some businessmen said there are rules that if the local administration requisitions anything, they have to pay for that service. But the local administration often does not pay for the service.
For example, if a car is requisitioned its rent and driver’s salary should be paid. But, in practice, the administration only pays the price of oil. As a result, the businessmen count losses, they alleged.
Santosh Kumar Dev, Chairman of the Tourism and Hospitality Management Department of Dhaka University, told The Business Post that a businessman makes a plan and offers a package.
