Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to various popular tourism destinations across the country as the six-day Eid-ul-Fitr vacation, followed by Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla new year, provided them with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature, significantly boosting the tourism sector.
According to our correspondents, popular tourist spots, including Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata, Sundarbans, Rangamati, and Sylhet, were teeming with a vast number of tourists throughout the post-Eid holidays.
Cox’s Bazar has always been a magnet for holidaymakers in the country. At least 5,00,000 vacationers visited the world’s longest unbroken sea beach since the afternoon of Eid day, surpassing the expectations of hoteliers and restaurateurs. Numerous tourists were spotted exploring Sugandha, Kolatoli, Laboni, and Himchori points along the beach.
With over 550 hotels, motels, guest houses, and cottages, the beach city can accommodate around 1,28,000 tourists at a time. However, the sudden influx of holidaymakers on Friday and Saturday overwhelmed them, leading to accommodation shortages for many families.
Abul Kashem Sikder, president of Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel, Guest House Owners’ Association, said, around 90% of the rooms were pre-booked until Sunday, leaving only a small percentage available for tourists arriving on Friday and Saturday.
He added that approximately two lakh tourists arrived on Friday, with another two lakh or more following the next day.
“Many tourists returned or went to Teknaf, Chokoria, Moheshkhali or Ramu for accommodation. We have been trying our best to accommodate the tourists,” he said further.
Fahmida Ahmed Kanta, a holidaymaker from the capital’s Segunbagicha, alleged that some hoteliers and restaurant owners were taking advantage of the situation by overcharging. However, Cox’s Bazar Restaurant Owners Association General Secretary Rashedul Islam Dalim refuted these claims, stating that they had reopened over 700 restaurants after Ramadan renovations to ensure tourists’ convenience.
The Sundarbans also attracted a significant number of tourists during the long Eid-ul-Fitr vacation. Thousands of visitors flocked to various points of the world’s largest mangrove forest to experience its diverse flora and fauna, including the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger and rare species such as Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins.
Sabbir Ahmed, a visitor from Chattogram, expressed his long-held desire to visit the renowned forest, relishing the opportunity afforded by the Eid and Bangla New Year holidays.
