Staff Reporter :
The hotel and tourism sector (HTS) incurred losses worth Tk 60,000 crore in gross value due to the impact of Covid-19.
Besides, about 1.41 crore people involved in the sector have lost their jobs due to adverse impact of the pandemic on the sector.
HTS would have contributed about Tk 1,50,000 crore to the economy in terms of gross value added in absence of the pandemic.
However, the contribution was reduced to around Tk 95,000 crore.
The figures were revealed in a study titled “The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Hospitality and Tourism Sector in Bangladesh” conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
Jabed Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Tourism Board and Binayak Sen, Director General of BIDS among others were present in the event.
Mohammad Yunus, team leader of the study group presented the findings.
Mohammad Mainul Hoque and Tahreen Tahrima Chowdhury were the team members.
The study reports showed that the transportation sector lost 40 pc of the total loss while, hotels 29pc and resorts and restaurant sectors 25pc.
In terms of strict definition, the HTS incorporates accommodation services, traditional restaurants, exotic cuisine and fast-food stalls, tour operators and travel agents, transportation services (land, water and air), historical and archaeological sites and stores around them mainly catering to tourists, various wholesale and retail trading stores facilitating accommodation and food services, etc. These sectors and sub-sectors contribute around one quarter of GDP in the country (GOB, 2020).
Consequent upon the ‘new normal’ lifestyle accompanied by severe disruption of economic activities the tourism sector was one of worst hit sectors.
The study report said that the country-wide lockdown imposed by the government led to closure of hotels, motels, restaurants, and transport sector activities as well as cancellation of all domestic and international flights to and from Bangladesh resulting in huge losses in this sector.
Even though the lockdown has been gradually withdrawn since June, 2021; this sector is still susceptible to the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in long-run considering the incessant spread out of this deadly virus, the study suggested.
Accordingly, the study would assess the micro and macroeconomic impact, albeit differential, of the COVID-19 on the sector along with policy suggestions for recovery in post-pandemic environment.
The study comprising four types of enterprise including hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and travel agents.
Apart from the enterprise survey it also included the employees of hotels, travel agents and tour operators in order to realize the impact of COVID-19 on livelihood of workforce of this sector.
It also involved transport owners and operators (both road and water ways) as well as owners and employees of tourist attractions in five cities: Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka, Khulna, and Sylhet.
Bangladesh Tourism Board, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Government of Bangladesh sponsored the study.
