Having been forced by the coronavirus pandemic to stay indoors for months, people have begun thronging the tourism hotspots in Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet and other districts.
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The government reopened the longest sandy beach of the world to the people on Aug 17 after a shutdown for around five months.
Karim Ullah, the general secretary of Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel Officers’ Association, said thousands of tourists were coming every day and the numbers were several times more than those of the same period in the previous years.
More than half of the rooms at most of the hotels in the beach city are booked now, which Karim said is unusual for the off-peak season.
Many residents of capital Dhaka are planning to visit the tourist spots in groups.
Soulen Chowdhury, an executive with a private firm, said he is going to Sunamganj’s Tanguar Haor with his colleagues next Thursday.
“We have been housebound for long due to the coronavirus. Now we are travelling to relieve the stress. We will begin working in full swing after the tour,” he told bdnews24.com.
Ujjal Hossain who works for another private company said he and his friends will tour Nikli Haor.
“We couldn’t get together due to the pandemic for a long time. So we’ve decided to tour the Haor,” he said.
Sumat Nuri Chowdhury Jewel, the president of Sylhet Hotel and Guest House Owners’ Association, described the shutdown as “disastrous” for tourism.
He now sees hope as the tourists have begun to come to the district.
He said they are following coronavirus health rules strictly at the hotels and guest houses.
‘NO MASK, NO SERVICE’
Officials in the districts that draw tourists said they are alert to make people follow the health rules such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance.
Md Kamal Hossain, the deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, said mobile courts have been deployed to watch the situation.
The district administration is raising awareness by making announcements through loudspeakers and setting up billboards besides arranging hand-washing spots at key points, Kamal said.
“The businesses have been asked to follow the ‘no mask, no service’ rule,” he added.
Md Zillur Rahman, a superintendent of tourist police in Cox’s Bazar, said they were working to ensure the health rules as well.
Professor M Badruzzaman Bhuiyan, the chairman of Dhaka University’s tourism and hospitality management department, also stressed the need for following the rules.
“The situation will be disastrous if the tour operators cannot ensure the rules,” he said.
Ram Chandra Das, the chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, said the national tourism agency are conducting awareness campaigns at their hotels and motels whenever a district reopens to tourists to ensure that the employees and tourists follow the health protocols.
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