UNB, Dhaka :
Though people have got a long vacation to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with their families, there is little for the hoteliers in the country’s biggest tourism spots-Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata-to cheer about.
In most cases, the holidaymakers prefer spending time with their families and relatives than visiting tourism spots once they reach their respective destinations after ending long sufferings on their way back home, say hotel owners.
They, however, hope to see a good business during September 14-16, right after the Eid day.
“It would definitely have been better if the holidays were scheduled after Eid. People are unlikely to come to Cox’s Bazar before Eid,” Cox’s Bazar Hotel, Motel Owners Association General Secretary Abdul Qaium Chowdhury told UNB. Chowdhury, also the owner of Hotel Cox Today, said the occupancy of hotel before Eid-ul-Azha is 10-20 percent at best, while it may go up to 80-95 percent on September 14-16.
Sheikh Imrul Siddique, an official at Seagull Hotel, said people generally love visiting Cox’s Bazar after Eid. “We’ve only 10-15 percent occupancy…
we expect it to go up on September 15-16.” Badal Barua, manager at the Hotel Diamond Palace, said they are expecting to have 50-70 percent occupancy after Eid. “Now we’re almost empty.”
An official at Sayeman Beach Resort, however, said their 80 percent rooms are already booked for the days before Eid while they will have 100 percent occupancy on September 15-16. He said many guests have already visited Cox’s Bazar after Eid-ul-Fitr.
UNB Patuakhali correspondent reports that there is no significant tourist in Kuakata, a town known for its panoramic sea beach, right now.
“However, the bookings in local hotels are much higher for the three days starting from September 16-18,” our correspondent said quoting Motaherul Islam, manager at Jubo Pantho Nibash Motel, Kuakata.
ASP (Tourist police wing) Azmanur Rahman said they have taken adequate security measures for the tourists who will visit Kuakata during the Eid vacation.
Tourism industry insiders say some 10 lakh people will visit various domestic tourism spots during the ongoing Eid holidays. A good number of people will also spend their times abroad visiting international tourism spots in India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and China.
The government has already started working to bring unexplored tourism spots and installations in the limelight through effective steps to give a boost to the tourism industry enabling it to contribute to the national economy in a bigger way, officials said.
Though people have got a long vacation to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with their families, there is little for the hoteliers in the country’s biggest tourism spots-Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata-to cheer about.
In most cases, the holidaymakers prefer spending time with their families and relatives than visiting tourism spots once they reach their respective destinations after ending long sufferings on their way back home, say hotel owners.
They, however, hope to see a good business during September 14-16, right after the Eid day.
“It would definitely have been better if the holidays were scheduled after Eid. People are unlikely to come to Cox’s Bazar before Eid,” Cox’s Bazar Hotel, Motel Owners Association General Secretary Abdul Qaium Chowdhury told UNB. Chowdhury, also the owner of Hotel Cox Today, said the occupancy of hotel before Eid-ul-Azha is 10-20 percent at best, while it may go up to 80-95 percent on September 14-16.
Sheikh Imrul Siddique, an official at Seagull Hotel, said people generally love visiting Cox’s Bazar after Eid. “We’ve only 10-15 percent occupancy…
we expect it to go up on September 15-16.” Badal Barua, manager at the Hotel Diamond Palace, said they are expecting to have 50-70 percent occupancy after Eid. “Now we’re almost empty.”
An official at Sayeman Beach Resort, however, said their 80 percent rooms are already booked for the days before Eid while they will have 100 percent occupancy on September 15-16. He said many guests have already visited Cox’s Bazar after Eid-ul-Fitr.
UNB Patuakhali correspondent reports that there is no significant tourist in Kuakata, a town known for its panoramic sea beach, right now.
“However, the bookings in local hotels are much higher for the three days starting from September 16-18,” our correspondent said quoting Motaherul Islam, manager at Jubo Pantho Nibash Motel, Kuakata.
ASP (Tourist police wing) Azmanur Rahman said they have taken adequate security measures for the tourists who will visit Kuakata during the Eid vacation.
Tourism industry insiders say some 10 lakh people will visit various domestic tourism spots during the ongoing Eid holidays. A good number of people will also spend their times abroad visiting international tourism spots in India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and China.
The government has already started working to bring unexplored tourism spots and installations in the limelight through effective steps to give a boost to the tourism industry enabling it to contribute to the national economy in a bigger way, officials said.
