Plastic-free tourism

Plastic pollution is making an unwelcome impact on our tourist spots. It is unfortunate that we hardly find out any tourist spot in Bangladesh, which is free from plastic waste. Plastic litters are often found thrown away on the sea beaches by tourists. Marine animals are often found on the sea beaches with pieces of plastic in their stomachs. Just some months ago, at least 20 turtles were found dead and dozens more were rescued after being entangled in plastic waste washed ashore on Cox's Bazar sea beach. This is a unique case of plastic invasion. It sends a dangerous signal to our marine biodiversity. Not just in Bangladesh, the devastating impacts are felt by marine animals globally.

If we want a healthy ecosystem for our marine animals and fishes, we must end our reliance on single-use plastics. It is time to stop the flow of this material, built to last forever but often only used for a few moments. While travelling, a conscious tourist should act responsibly and litter less. We must make our local tourists aware of this fact and plastic-free tourism can only be the answer.

Shahjahan Sirazi,

Malibagh, Dhaka,

[email protected]