Tourist arrivals fall by 50-60pc in Chattogram region

CHATTOGRAM, March 16: Arrivals of tourists in greater Chattogram, including Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari districts, sharply declined recently in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. Observers said, tourism is being hampered in the current season due to the fear of the novel coronavirus.
Most of the hotels, motels and tourist spots have remained empty during the peak tourism season of the current year, they mentioned.
Talking to the FE, hotel owners in Chattogram region informed that arrivals of tourists here fell by around 50-60 per cent in the current peak season of the year than the corresponding period of the last year.
As a result, most of the rooms of hotels and motels have remained vacant now inflicting huge losses to those involved in the tourism business.
Sources said, five star and other posh hotels that usually remain filled up during this part of a year, particularly in spring, in Chattogram are now almost empty.
In the port city of Chattogram, the hotels used to get guests from the airlines and ships everyday in this season. As the crew of ships are not landing due to coronavirus restriction, they are staying at their respective vessels now. Besides, flights of different airlines to the Chattogram region have been limited as a precaution to prevent coronavirus. Members of the crew of airlines now arriving in fewer numbers and those who are coming not staying at hotels in fear of coronavirus. The numbers of crew are negligible compared to this time of the previous year as arrivals of international flights have decreased at Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport.
Local business people said the foreigners are not visiting Chattogram during this peak time as they did in the corresponding period of last year. The hotel owners said the number of guests has decreased alarmingly this year.
A manager of a posh hotel in Chattogram said, "We have lost many guests in the current year. Crew of airlines were our permanent guests. Besides, seamen were also our guests. But, in the current year, particularly in this month, the foreigners are not staying at the hotels. So, we are incurring loss in the peak season."
Shafiul Alam, Owner of Favour Inn Hotel in the port city said, "Most of the rooms have remained vacant now. Guests are not staying at the hotels and they have also stopped visiting Chattogram for tourism due to fear of the deadly virus."

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