Resort business recovering slowly

Resorts and recreation businesses are slowly recovering from the financial blow they faced for the coronavirus pandemic as people are crowding the recreation sites with the ease of restrictions.

Nearly 150 resorts and recreation centres in Savar, Gazipur and Manikganj counted nearly Tk 11,000 crore in loss during the pandemic and they are now eyeing to recover some of the amounts during the peak tourism season that begins in November, said the sector people.

All in the sector are now busy in preparations to catch the peak season and the resorts are now thinking of reinstating the employees whom they had to terminate during the pandemic.

Tourism Resort Industries Association of Bangladesh (TRIAB) President Khabir Uddin Ahmed told The Business Post that their business is now slowly recovering from the Covid fallouts but it will take at least two to three years to cover the losses.

Apart from Dhaka’s surrounding districts, there are around 300 resorts in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Sylhet, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari and they are also doing better after the ease of Covid restrictions as people are crowding tourist destinations particularly Cox’s Bazar, Sajek, and Bandarban, according to the sector people.

Medium quality resorts in Gazipur, Savar or Narayanganj are charging Tk 2,000 to Tk 5,000 for an overnight stay while premium quality resorts are charging between Tk 5,000 and Tk 20,000, they said.

Many of the resorts are also offering discounts and various other facilities to attract customers and getting a good response from people.

The recreation spots near the capital are popular for picnics, holidays, film shooting, corporate functions. Honeymooners also prefer such places.

Ismail Hossain, manager of Sara Resort at Rajabari in Gazipur’s Rajendrapur, told The Business Post their business was gradually improving. “But it will take some more time to cover the Covid-induced losses.”

Ismail said they are now doing well on weekends — Fridays and Saturdays.

Abul Hossain Abir, general manager at Chhuti Resort in Sukundi of Gazipur, said bookings for corporate or official programmes at the resort began and they are getting one or two programmes a week. However, these groups are small, he said.

Abir said their business was so far good comparing to 2020 but the Covid-caused losses were yet to be covered.

“Now our target is to keep the business running. That’s why everyone is offering discounts and facilities. No one is now thinking of recovery,” he said.

Bankers Taher Mridha and Md Manikuzzaman could manage to leave Dhaka after a long time along with their families and went to Sara Resort in Gazipur to have some quality time as the Covid restrictions were eased.

It is really tough for them to make time for recreation with family and they could make time only on weekends, said Taher. “We spent some quality time. Our children enjoyed the trip as they could swim and play in the open air,” he added.

Manikuzzaman said they prefer daylong or overnight travel on weekends and prefer good resorts on security grounds though it costs high.

If the costs could be lowered, many middle-class people would be more eager to go to resorts.

Like Taher and Manikuzzman, many prefer to have a short trip to resorts in surrounding areas of Dhaka to have a break from their busy life after easing Covid restrictions and the resorts turned vibrant with guests.

TRIAB President Khabir Uddin Ahmed, however, thinks that government incentives would hardly help them to recover the loss. “Incentive means providing loans on easy terms. That is still under process. But, we have to repay the amount. If we face something like Covid again, how would we repay it?” he said.

Kabir demanded that the government should waive their utility bills, lower VAT and tax and make some import items duty-free. If the government thinks about the matter, the industry will rebound, he added.