Access restriction has badly affected the economy of Saint Martin's, the only coral island and one of the most popular tourist spots of the country.
This downturn during the peak season of tourism is causing frustration among Saint Martin-centric businessmen as well as the locals.
"With limited tourists, hotels and resorts are being forced to offer lower room rates, pushing businesses into losses," Abdullahil Mamun Niloy, owner of the Neel Hawa Beach Resort in the island, told the FE.
In previous years, tourists were officially barred from visiting the island for six months of the year, only being allowed to visit from November to April.
However, in late October this year, the interim government decided to allow tourism for just three months of the year as part of efforts to protect the native biodiversity.
As part of the decision, the tourists will be allowed in Saint's Martin Island in November but they cannot stay at night.
Overnight stays will be allowed in December and January but the number of tourists on the island cannot exceed 2,000 per day.
The island will remain closed to tourists in February. Cleaning and conservation initiatives will be conducted then.
Mr Niloy further said, "Although many of the locals in the island have hotel business, they usually do not run their entities themselves. The locals who are involved in hotel business usually rent their entities to the big-time operators for the entire season. However, they became the most-affected community this season as the big businessmen didn't show any interest in renting their hotels this year due to the tourist restrictions."
Most of the hoteliers especially who came from outside of the island are trying to attract the tourists through online process, he said, adding that it will be tough for them to earn the maintaining cost through this way.
Md Shukur Ali, a local resident of the island who ferries passengers from Saint Martin's jetty to Chera Dwip, said, "Transportation of the tourists to Chera Dwip from the main island has been stopped. As a result, about 40 boats are lying idle at the pier. Several hundred people involved in transportation have become unemployed. We are in trouble."
As his boat is stuck in the pier, Shukur along with others is now trying to go back to his old profession, fishing in the sea.
Abu Siddique, owner of Hasan Restaura in the island, told the FE that his sale was average Tk80,000 to Tk0.1 million per day in the previous years, while now it is average Tk20,000 to 30,000 per day. Most of the time, the restaurant remains vacant, he added.
The island experienced a shortage of tourists throughout the month of November, claimed Mr Siddique, adding that even the number of tourists cannot reach the restricted level, 2,000, in some days of the month.
Average number of tourists in the island was 6,000 to 8,000 in the past years.
Insiders said many of the tourists do not know about the launching of passenger ships to the island while many are considering Saint Martin tourism as a complex process due to restrictions and travel pass.
Some people are avoiding travelling in the island as costing has been increased due to ships' sailing from Nuniar Chara jetty of Cox's Bazar instead of jetties in Teknaf.
Mr Siddique said number of tourists has increased in the island after December 10 as holidays have begun.
Shiblul Azam Koreshi, immediate past president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), told the FE that people involved with the tourism industry are victims of discrimination.
"The policymakers who are using fossil fuel to run their car and live within air-conditioned rooms are crying to protect the environment of the Saint Martin," said Mr Koreshi.
He suggested that single-use plastics should be strictly prohibited to protect the environment. However, he said tourism should continue unrestricted, adding that alternative travel routes to the island should be developed.
The use of generators on the island should be stopped and environmentally-friendly solar plants should be set up, Koreshi said, adding that construction of permanent structures using bricks, sand, cement, and rods should be controlled.
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