Having incurred massive losses in the peak time tour operators, hoteliers, resort owners and a good number of service providers are worried that they would also suffer further loss in the coming lean period.
The January-March period is considered as peak time and the investors usually make profits during this time after waiting for long in the lean period (during summer and rainy season) when the number of tourists drops by more than 90 per cent.
But losses incurred over the last two months will create pressure on the tourism industry during the approaching lean period when there would be fewer tourists which may lead to more losses and even closure of business.
President of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh Toufiq Ahmed said the sector has been severely affected due to political instability.
He said there are frequent booking cancellations, drop of inbound tourists and curtailing of number of visiting guests.
He said more than Tk 1.5 billion loss has been incurred in the last two months and it is likely to continue in the coming lean season.
According to sources, a total of 44 travelling offices, 200 hotel and resorts and some other service sectors are operating in the country with the aggregate annual earnings of around Tk 19 billion.
President of Tourism Resort Industries Association of Bangladesh Khabir Uddin Ahmed said the ongoing political crisis poses a serious threat to the flourishing tourism industry, leading some 1.0 million people including owners, employees, workers and others into uncertainly.
He said such a situation arose in the year 2013 and the tourism sector was badly affected.
He said the popular tourist resorts of Cox's Bazaar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Kuakata, Sylhet, Sri Mongal and other places are empty as there are hardly any guests at hotels, motels, cottages and guest houses there.
According to a tour operator's marketing staff, some 38 hotels, 81 cottages and bungalows on St Martin's Island are empty even in this peak period.
He said in the upcoming season the sea would be rough and there would be cyclones, rain and floods and summer heat; so all the cottages, hotels and bungalows would also remain empty.
A resort owner in the Cox's Bazaar Irina beach point said occupancy in this resort has been dropped by 97 per cent in the peak time.
He said he has already incurred massive loss and fears that the losing trend would continue in the lean time too.
According to an investing company in tourism business, persons in tourism sector are counting losses in millions of taka.
He said tourists usually visit tea gardens, beach, historical sites, lakes, hilly areas, the Sundarbans and other places.
He said as his resort is in Sylhet; so every peak time he gets tourists for Jaflong, Sripur, Jainta, Rajbari, Lalakhal, as well as Shahjalal and Shahporan's shrines.
But currently he is not getting any tourists and his establishments and manpower are sitting idle.
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Tour operating companies in dire straits due to unrest
Shamsul Huda | Published: March 07, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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