Political upheaval: Cox's Bazar tourism industry incurs Tk500cr estimated loss in a week

The ongoing political turmoil in the country has hit the tourism industry of beach town Cox's Bazar hard, causing an estimated loss of Tk500 crore over the last week. 

Protest programmes, including hartals, blockade by opposition parties, has emptied the longest sea beach out of visitors in the last few days despite peak tourist season, hotel and shop owners in Cox's Bazar said.

Businesses based near the Cox's Bazar beach said the tourist season begins in October with hundreds of thousands of people thronging the town. 

Tourists also flock to Saint Martin's island during this period.

However, during the last week, these popular tourist spots have remained mostly empty with no new visitors as opposition parties, including the BNP and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, enforced hartals which were followed by a three-day blockade.

Visiting the Laboni Point of Cox's Bazar beach on Thursday, The Business Standard found the beach nearly empty of tourists with only a few tourist photographers, water bike drivers, and horse owners roaming around.

"I had hoped for a good income this tourist season. But there's no tourists even at peak season," said Ibrahim, a photographer who shoots pictures of tourists for a nominal charge.

"I have been coming here on the beach for the last five days but haven't been able to make any income. Due to the hartals and blockade, there's no visitors," he added.

Rahim Ullah, who rents water bikes to tourists, echoed a similar experience.

"Before Durga Puja, I earned Tk4,000 daily. But due to the BNP-Jamaat rally, strike and blockade, Cox's Bazar beach has been empty of tourists for the last one week. I am sitting on the beach with my bike but there are no tourists."

Abdu Sabur, a businessman who rents umbrella seats, known as Kitkot chairs, said, "I have 20 chairs on the beach but I haven't been able to earn more than Tk200 in the last five days. These hartals and the blockade have ruined us."

Mosharraf Hussain, president of Chata Market Traders Association, said "There are 200 shops in the market located near the beach. Usually, each of these shops sell Burmese products worth up to Tk50,000.

"Since the BNP-Jamaat announced the blockade, the market is incurring Tk3 crore loss every day." 

Burmese pickles sellers, who usually see a high turnover throughout the year, have also been hit by the political upheaval in the country. 

"I haven't been able to sell one packet of pickles today as there are no tourists," said pickles trader Sirajul Islam. 

"In the previous week, I sold pickles worth up to Tk40,000 a day."

There are over 500 hotels, cottages, and guest houses in the beach town, which remains fully packed during the tourist season. But the scenario has been different over the last few days. 

Salim Newaz, general secretary of Cox's Bazar Hotel Motel Guest House Owners Association, said, "The strike and blockade called by BNP-Jamaat has had a negative impact on the tourism industry of Cox's Bazar at the beginning of the tourism season.

"Due to the heated political situation, Cox's Bazar is now empty of tourists. As a result of which every sector of tourism in Cox's Bazar is losing an average of Tk100 crore every day."

"If the hartals and blockades continue, we will lose everything."