Cox’s Bazar, usually bustling with tourists, has turned into a ghost town since the start of Ramadan, as visitors stay away to focus on religious observances. Despite deep discounts on hotel rooms, the beach city remains largely empty.
More than two-thirds of Ramadan has passed, yet Cox’s Bazar sees little tourist activity. Over 500 hotels, motels and cottages in the Kalatali tourist zone report minimal bookings, while most restaurants and food stalls remain closed due to a lack of customers.
On Friday, only 800-1,000 visitors were spotted along the five-kilometre stretch from Kalatali to Laboni Point.
Among them was schoolteacher Mousumi Sarker, who travelled from Dhaka’s Mohammadpur with her family.
“I had been planning this trip for a long time but never found the time. Since schools are closed during Ramadan, we finally made it,” she said.
She appreciated the quieter beach but noted the inconvenience of most shops and restaurants being shut.
Tourism declines despite efforts
Hotel owners say that before Ramadan, around 20,000 tourists visited Cox’s Bazar daily. However, with the start of fasting, numbers dwindled. Now, only about 1,500 guests are staying across all hotels and motels, and this trend is expected to continue until Eid.
Nazim Uddin, owner of Shahzadi Resort at Dolphin Intersection, said that 43 out of his 45 rooms are vacant.
“We had hoped discounts would attract tourists, especially those who usually cannot afford peak-season prices. But it did not work. Instead, we are using this time to renovate our rooms. Tourists will return from Eid day onwards, and we expect to recover this month’s losses during the holiday rush,” he said.
Record discounts, but few takers
In November and December last year, at least 2.1 million tourists flocked to Cox’s Bazar, with hotels charging full rates. Another 6,00,000-7,00,000 visitors arrived in January and February when hotels offered up to 20% discounts on room rates.
Hoping to lure visitors during Ramadan, over 50 upscale hotels and resorts—including Seagull Hotel, Ocean Paradise, Saiman Beach Resort, Hotel Long Beach and Mermaid Beach Resort—have slashed room rates by up to 70%. However, the response has been lukewarm.
At Rain View Resort in Kalatali, 47 of its 51 rooms remain vacant, while the nearby Hotel Cox International has only one occupied room out of 25.
Mass layoffs and preparations for Eid
According to Abul Kashem Sikdar, president of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Guest House Owners Association, nearly 99% of restaurants in the area remain closed during Ramadan. With no visitors, hotels and guesthouses have put 30,000-40,000 employees on leave, keeping operations running with just 10,000-15,000 workers. Some establishments are using this period for renovation.
Courtesy: Daily Sun
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
