Major tourist spots gearing up for long Eid holiday

Popular tourist spots in the country are preparing to host a massive influx of vacationers as the government has approved a 7-day holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr this year.

Hotel and resort operators in destinations like Cox’s Bazar and Sajek Valley are already seeing an uptick in advance bookings for the holiday, hoping to make up for earlier losses from a slowdown in business.

Throughout the holy month of Ramadan, hotel operators in Cox’s Bazar were able to retain meagre tourist footfall by offering discounts of as much as 70 percent on room rates. They are now eagerly awaiting the post-Eid season.

Mukim Khan, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel-Resort Owners’ Association, said 60 to 70 percent of hotel bookings have already been completed. Occupancy is expected to reach 80 to 90 percent by the night before Eid.

“We expect around 500,000 to 700,000 tourists to visit Cox’s Bazar in the week following Eid.”

Political uncertainty surrounding elections had slowed down the tourism sector, but the situation has improved, he added.

“People are now more comfortable planning trips, so we expect a good Eid season for tourism.”

Imran Hossain, food and beverage manager at Sayeman Beach Resort, said their occupancy during Ramadan was around 20 percent.

“We offered up to 60 percent discounts throughout the month,” he said.

He added that discounts have now been reduced to 20 percent for the Eid period.

Around 90 percent of rooms in the resort have already been booked until March 26, with full occupancy expected for the first week after Eid.

Visits to hotel and motel zones in Cox’s Bazar showed that the area was not completely deserted, unlike in previous years. A noticeable number of tourists visited Cox’s Bazar even during the quieter Ramadan period.

At Sugandha Beach, businessman Bishwajit Roy from Dhaka’s Chawkbazar was seen vacationing with his family.

“Hotels offer special discounts during Ramadan, and the crowd is thinner. That’s why I chose this time to visit,” he said. He added that cooking facilities in hotels made food arrangements convenient.

Zahid Russell, manager of a mid-range hotel, Delowar Paradise, near Sugandha Beach, said they have 60 two-bedroom units. On average, only six to seven units were rented regularly during Ramadan.

“We have to pay over Tk 10 lakh in monthly expenses, but income was very low compared to that,” he said.

Russell added that discounts of up to 70 percent were offered. Although some units were rented, it only slightly reduced their losses, and profit was out of the question.

RANGAMATI HOTELS, RESORTS BOOKED IN ADVANCE

In Rangamati, hotel, motel, resort, and cottage owners have completed preparations to welcome visitors, with most accommodations already nearly fully booked.

Sajek Valley remains the most popular tourist destination in the Rangamati district. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the destination.

This Eid, around 111 resorts and cottages in Sajek are ready to receive visitors.

“Bookings started five days ago. All resorts and cottages in Sajek are fully booked from March 22 to 27,” said Surpan Deb Barma, president of the Sajek Resort and Cottage Owners Association.

“Even if someone wants a room now, we cannot provide it, as nothing is available.”

He added that tourist turnout is expected to be higher than last year.

“Last year, business was affected due to political instability. This time, we expect better business as the Eid holiday is longer this year.”

Apart from Sajek, Rangamati town and other lake-centric tourist spots are also buzzing with anticipation for the holiday.

Kaptai Lake remains the main attraction, around which much of the district’s tourism industry has developed. Most resorts, hotels, and entertainment facilities are located along the lake.

Alok Bikash Chakma, manager of the Rangamati Tourism Holiday Complex, said, “We have 87 rooms in total, accommodating up to 170 guests. Around 80 percent of rooms are already booked from March 22 to 28.”

The iconic hanging bridge over the lake has been repainted ahead of Eid, he said.

“With the extended holiday, favourable weather, and improved security conditions, we expect a record number of tourists in Rangamati this year.”

Sumet Chakma, general secretary of the Rangamati Resort Owners Association and owner of Borgi Lake Valley, said, “All our resorts are fully booked from March 18 to 29. All 13 member resorts under our association are also fully booked from March 22 to 28.”