Only four tourists show up as tight rules deter visitors

The revival of St Martin's Island has fallen flat on reopening day. Despite the government reopening the coral island to tourists from Saturday, not a single ship departed from Cox's Bazar on the first day.
Silence prevailed throughout the morning at the BIWTA jetty in Nuniachhara, and tourist footfall was negligible, reports bdnews24.com.
Hosain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh, said only four passengers arrived at the jetty in the morning -- and even they returned without boarding.
He added, "It is impossible to operate ships for such a long sea journey in a day-trip format. Tourists will not opt for this under current conditions."

Saint Martin's Island, which had been off-limits to tourists for nine months, is now open to visitors. No vessels, however, departed for the nation's lone coral island on Saturday, the first day of reopening, as holidaymakers are not allowed to stay overnight this month. Ship owners plan to resume services in December, when overnight stays for vacationers will be permitted. — Focus Bangla

Authorities deploy eight vessels on the St Martin's route now, with a combined capacity of 3,600 passengers. However, under new government rules, no more than 2,000 tourists can travel daily, a limit that has frustrated ship owners.
Bahadur said, "It takes seven to seven-and-a-half hours to reach St Martin's Island from Cox's Bazar. Round-trip, that's 14-15 hours. With only one hour on the island, tourists lose interest.
"Typically, 100-150 day-trip tourists show interest per day,
but at least 350 passengers are needed to run a ship. Each journey costs around 10 million -- operating with fewer passengers is unviable."
Alternative routes, such as using the Inani jetty in Ukhiya, could cut travel time to eight or nine hours, but environmental restrictions prohibit this. Travel from Teknaf's Damdamia jetty is also restricted due to tensions at the Myanmar border and safety
concerns.
Ship owners say the environment ministry's directives ignore ground realities, jeopardising local tourism and island livelihoods.
Nurul Hasan, a resort owner on the island, said: "We want to protect the environment, but the rules must be realistic. Nobody will endure 15 hours at sea for just one hour on the island. This harms tourism rather than helps it."
Couples and students visiting from Dhaka and Chattogram echoed the frustration, lamenting that overnight stays are crucial to enjoying St. Martin's.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan said six ships have permission to operate, tickets are being sold online, and vessels can depart
once passenger targets
are met.
Government directives from Oct 22 allow boat travel but ban overnight stays, limit daily tourists to 2,000 in December-January, and enforce 12 environmental protection measures.