Govt to review Saint Martin’s tourism rules

The government will reconsider the duration of the tourism season, the daily visitor limit and the departure point for tourist ships to Saint Martin’s Island, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said on Monday.

The review will take into account the island’s environment and biodiversity, tourist safety and transport management, he said while chairing an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat.

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The island was closed to tourists for nine months from February 1 this year as part of conservation measures to protect its fragile ecosystem and biodiversity. The previous tourism season ended on January 31, with tourism scheduled to resume on November 1.

Monday’s meeting discussed tourism management for the 2026-27 season, including visitor numbers, overnight stays and measures to protect the island’s environment.

Under a notification issued on October 22, 2025, tourists can visit the island during the day in November but must return the same day. Overnight stays are allowed in December and January, when the average number of visitors must not exceed 2,000 a day. Tourist visits are suspended in February.

The ministry said the existing rules would be reviewed and further decisions announced later.

Minister Mintoo said the island’s carrying capacity, waste management, availability of safe drinking water and tourism’s impact on marine ecosystems must be considered before decisions are made.

State Minister for Environment Shaikh Faridul Islam stressed the need to buy travel passes and QR code-based tickets through web portals recognised by the Bangladesh Tourism Board and to follow environmental guidelines.

He also called for preventing visitors from carrying banned polythene, discouraging single-use plastics and encouraging tourists to bring their own water flasks.

Existing restrictions to protect marine turtles, birds, coral and other wildlife will remain in force. These include restrictions on lighting beaches and adjacent areas at night, creating noise or holding barbecue parties, entering keya forests or collecting and trading keya fruit, and riding motorcycles or similar vehicles on beaches.