Tour operators hope for sunny days
Tour operators in the country are optimistic about a good tourist turnout in the upcoming peak season, and expect better business than last year. Industry sources said revenues from tourism sector could scale Tk 1,500 crore during the peak season this year, if weather conditions remain favourable. Daily transactions may cross Tk 8 crore, the tour operators forecasted. Half of this amount is expected to be generated in Cox’s Bazar, the top tourist destination in the country.
The period between October and April is considered as the peak season for tourism.
After experiencing a slump in the last peak season, due to political chaos, tour operators expect better business this year, if weather conditions remain favourable.
Abul Kashem Shikder, secretary of Cox’s Bazar Hotel - Motel Guesthouse Owners' Association, told The Independent that around Tk 3 crore in revenue is generated daily as room rent in Cox's Bazar, while transportation, restaurant and other services generate Tk 1 crore, every day.
At present, Cox’s Bazar, which has an unbroken 120-km sandy sea beach—one of the world’s longest—with a gentle slope, can host 85,000 visitors every day. During peak season, 80 per cent of the hotels rooms are usually occupied during busy time, Shikder said.
“A significant number of local and foreign tourists visit the Sundarbans during the peak tourism season. Although the number was low last year, it should be better this year,” said Hasan Mansur, a pioneer of tour operator business in Bangladesh and the owner of Guide Tours.
According to industry data, on average, 1,000 visitors travel to and from the Sundarbans. A package tour for 2 to 3 days cost between Tk 6,000 and Tk 15,000.
“Bangladeshis are the best people in the world, foreign tourists keep telling me,” said Monsur. “If we can use this appreciation to create a positive image of Bangladesh, more foreign tourists will visit our country.”
Monsur, who is settled in the Bandarban, had been the president of Tour Operators' Association, for a few terms. His organisation, Guide Tours, played a pioneering role in bringing foreign tourists to Bangladesh.
Monsur operates Milonchori Hillside Resort in Bandarban. Visitors from UK, US, Japan, Canada and Germany come to the resort, he told The Independent. Empty rooms are hard to find in his resort, during peak season.
The hilly Bandarban—which is considered safe and attractive—has steadily grown in popularity, over the last decade, among tourists, especially for those seeking thrill and adventure.
Baklai Waterfall, Boga Lake, Buddha Dhatu Jadi, Chimbuk Hill Villages, Chinri Jhiri Waterfall, Jadipai Waterfall, Keokradong, Tajingdong, Nafakhum, Remakri, Tindu, Nilgiri and Thanchi, Rijuk Waterfall, Sangu River, and Shoilo Propat are some of the main attractions in Bandarban.
There are around 20 hotels and 10 resorts in Bandarban and the businesses are expecting good turnover this year.
Rahat, the general manager of Hotel Plaza, told The Independent that the hotel witnessed transactions worth Tk. 20-25 lakhs every day. “We have 39 rooms for rent and hardly any room is available during the peak season,” Rahat said.
In Rangamati, too, the hotel business has picked up steam. “Business will be good in December, if political and weather conditions remain stable,” Abu Bakkar, owner of Green Castle, told The Independent.
Chandan, the manager of Sufia Hotel, said hotels, transport operators, and restaurants in Rangamati, all together, generate around Tk 20 lakhs in revenue every day, during the peak tourism season.
In the peak travel season, tourists flock to Asia’s largest artificial lake in Kaptai. Tourists from different parts of the country visit the place. Besides, at least 10 to 15 groups come in the tourist spot, from Chittagong, for picnics. If weather conditions are favourable, the numbers could be more, said Kamal, a boat supplier in Rangamati.
The flow of tourists has been better in all the hotels in Khagrachari, since May this year, said Anonto Tripura of Gairin Hotel. Almost all the rooms of the newly constructed resorts, Runmoy and Sajek, are blocked till December.
The star rated hotels and resorts, which were constructed to keep up with the growing tourist sector of Sylhet, earn revenues of Tk 25-Tk 30 lakhs per day, claimed the owners. Tahmin Ahmed, the secretary of Sylhet Hotel and Guest House Owners Group, said, in the case of hotel business, the losses can not be withdrawn. In January last year, the hotel business was dull, he said, adding, “I hope this year we will do good business.”
Akhtaruzzaman Khan Kabir, the CEO of Bangladesh Tourism Board, said everyone has to work together to protect the tourism industry in the country. The sector needs support from all, to move forward, he added.
According to statistics cited by civil aviation and tourism minister, Rashed Khan Menon, in Parliament last year, the government earned Tk 949.56 crore as revenue from the tourism sector.
According to The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), around 1.5 million people, directly, and another 2.3 million, indirectly, are involved in the tourism industry of Bangladesh.
Tourism business had taken a hit after the terrorist attack in Gulshan, on July 1. From the third week of August, the domestic tourist flow slowed down, but now it has started to turn around.
Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury, researcher and professor of Dhaka University, said that though domestic tourism was not affected much by the terror attack in Gulshan, it will have an impact on foreign tourists. The leaders of Tour Operators Association agreed to the view.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2015, direct contribution of travel and tourism sector to the national economy was Tk. 402 billion, which is 2.4 per cent of GDP. Its share is expected to expand to 5.2 per cent in 2016. Beside, total contribution of the sector was Tk. 809 billion, which is 4.7 per cent of GDP, and is expected to rise to 6.1 per cent in 2016.
Tour operators in the country are optimistic about a good tourist turnout in the upcoming peak season, and expect better business than last year. Industry sources said revenues from tourism sector could scale Tk 1,500 crore during the peak season this year, if weather conditions remain favourable. Daily transactions may cross Tk 8 crore, the tour operators forecasted. Half of this amount is expected to be generated in Cox’s Bazar, the top tourist destination in the country.
The period between October and April is considered as the peak season for tourism.
After experiencing a slump in the last peak season, due to political chaos, tour operators expect better business this year, if weather conditions remain favourable.
Abul Kashem Shikder, secretary of Cox’s Bazar Hotel - Motel Guesthouse Owners' Association, told The Independent that around Tk 3 crore in revenue is generated daily as room rent in Cox's Bazar, while transportation, restaurant and other services generate Tk 1 crore, every day.
At present, Cox’s Bazar, which has an unbroken 120-km sandy sea beach—one of the world’s longest—with a gentle slope, can host 85,000 visitors every day. During peak season, 80 per cent of the hotels rooms are usually occupied during busy time, Shikder said.
“A significant number of local and foreign tourists visit the Sundarbans during the peak tourism season. Although the number was low last year, it should be better this year,” said Hasan Mansur, a pioneer of tour operator business in Bangladesh and the owner of Guide Tours.
According to industry data, on average, 1,000 visitors travel to and from the Sundarbans. A package tour for 2 to 3 days cost between Tk 6,000 and Tk 15,000.
“Bangladeshis are the best people in the world, foreign tourists keep telling me,” said Monsur. “If we can use this appreciation to create a positive image of Bangladesh, more foreign tourists will visit our country.”
Monsur, who is settled in the Bandarban, had been the president of Tour Operators' Association, for a few terms. His organisation, Guide Tours, played a pioneering role in bringing foreign tourists to Bangladesh.
Monsur operates Milonchori Hillside Resort in Bandarban. Visitors from UK, US, Japan, Canada and Germany come to the resort, he told The Independent. Empty rooms are hard to find in his resort, during peak season.
The hilly Bandarban—which is considered safe and attractive—has steadily grown in popularity, over the last decade, among tourists, especially for those seeking thrill and adventure.
Baklai Waterfall, Boga Lake, Buddha Dhatu Jadi, Chimbuk Hill Villages, Chinri Jhiri Waterfall, Jadipai Waterfall, Keokradong, Tajingdong, Nafakhum, Remakri, Tindu, Nilgiri and Thanchi, Rijuk Waterfall, Sangu River, and Shoilo Propat are some of the main attractions in Bandarban.
There are around 20 hotels and 10 resorts in Bandarban and the businesses are expecting good turnover this year.
Rahat, the general manager of Hotel Plaza, told The Independent that the hotel witnessed transactions worth Tk. 20-25 lakhs every day. “We have 39 rooms for rent and hardly any room is available during the peak season,” Rahat said.
In Rangamati, too, the hotel business has picked up steam. “Business will be good in December, if political and weather conditions remain stable,” Abu Bakkar, owner of Green Castle, told The Independent.
Chandan, the manager of Sufia Hotel, said hotels, transport operators, and restaurants in Rangamati, all together, generate around Tk 20 lakhs in revenue every day, during the peak tourism season.
In the peak travel season, tourists flock to Asia’s largest artificial lake in Kaptai. Tourists from different parts of the country visit the place. Besides, at least 10 to 15 groups come in the tourist spot, from Chittagong, for picnics. If weather conditions are favourable, the numbers could be more, said Kamal, a boat supplier in Rangamati.
The flow of tourists has been better in all the hotels in Khagrachari, since May this year, said Anonto Tripura of Gairin Hotel. Almost all the rooms of the newly constructed resorts, Runmoy and Sajek, are blocked till December.
The star rated hotels and resorts, which were constructed to keep up with the growing tourist sector of Sylhet, earn revenues of Tk 25-Tk 30 lakhs per day, claimed the owners. Tahmin Ahmed, the secretary of Sylhet Hotel and Guest House Owners Group, said, in the case of hotel business, the losses can not be withdrawn. In January last year, the hotel business was dull, he said, adding, “I hope this year we will do good business.”
Akhtaruzzaman Khan Kabir, the CEO of Bangladesh Tourism Board, said everyone has to work together to protect the tourism industry in the country. The sector needs support from all, to move forward, he added.
According to statistics cited by civil aviation and tourism minister, Rashed Khan Menon, in Parliament last year, the government earned Tk 949.56 crore as revenue from the tourism sector.
According to The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), around 1.5 million people, directly, and another 2.3 million, indirectly, are involved in the tourism industry of Bangladesh.
Tourism business had taken a hit after the terrorist attack in Gulshan, on July 1. From the third week of August, the domestic tourist flow slowed down, but now it has started to turn around.
Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury, researcher and professor of Dhaka University, said that though domestic tourism was not affected much by the terror attack in Gulshan, it will have an impact on foreign tourists. The leaders of Tour Operators Association agreed to the view.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2015, direct contribution of travel and tourism sector to the national economy was Tk. 402 billion, which is 2.4 per cent of GDP. Its share is expected to expand to 5.2 per cent in 2016. Beside, total contribution of the sector was Tk. 809 billion, which is 4.7 per cent of GDP, and is expected to rise to 6.1 per cent in 2016.
