St Martin's travel restrictions: TOAB warns of strong movement to protect the industry
TOAB President Rafeuzzaman said, “We want to protect the environment and biodiversity of St Martin, but not by stopping tourism. Instead, it takes all the necessary steps in favour of the environment”
The president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) Mohammad Rafeuzzaman has warned that they will go on a greater movement to save the industries if they stop tourists visiting and staying overnight in Saint Martin's Island.
He said this at a press conference organised by the St Martin's Island Environment and Tourism Protection and Development Alliance in the auditorium of the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in the capital today (27 October).
Local leaders of St Martin including Alliance Chairman Shiblul Azam Qureshi, HR Group Chairman and Alliance Publicity Secretary Habibur Rahman and E-Tourism Association of Bangladesh (E-TAB) President Imranul Alam, among others spoke at the press conference.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
TOAB President Rafeuzzaman said, "Despite our strong objections, the government has decided to limit overnight stays and tourist travel in St Martin. According to the government, no tourist can spend the night in St Martin in November. In December and January, just 2,000 tourists can travel to St Martin and spend the night."
And in February, the government will stop tourist travel to St Martin. The tourism industry will be greatly affected and the sector entrepreneurs will be destroyed following stopping such seasonal business, he pointed out.
"About 10,000 people live in Saint Martin. All of them depend on tourism. All of them will be out of a job if tourism is restricted or stopped in St. Martin. Along with that, financial investment of entrepreneurs will be at serious risk," TOAB president Rafeuzzaman said.
He protested such a decision of the government and demanded immediate withdrawal of this decision.
Shiblul Azam Qureshi demanded in the press conference, to maintain the balance of the environment in St Martin's Island, to strictly stop the use of single-use plastics and to continue tourism without any restrictions, including overnight stays, and to create an alternative route to travel from Teknaf to St Martin
"We want to protect the environment and biodiversity of St. Martin, but not by stopping tourism. Instead, it takes all the necessary steps in favour of the environment," He added.
He also demanded that tourism development should be ensured by dealing with the adverse effects of tourism and preserving the environment of Saint Martin Island. A water treatment plant is to be set up on the island to turn the salt water into fresh water. Decomposable waste should be converted into biogas through treatment.
The use of generators should be stopped on the island and environment-friendly solar plants should be installed and permanent structures should be controlled using bricks, sand, cement and rods, he pointed out.
Leaders of TOAB, Tour Operators Association of Cox's Bazar, St Martin's Island Environment and Tourism Protection and Development Alliance, E-Tourism Association of Bangladesh (E-TAB), Tour Operators Association of Kuakata, St Martin's Hotel Owners Association, Tour Operators Association of St Martin's, St Martin's Shop Owners Association, St Martin's Boat Owners Cooperative Association, Fishermen Owners Association, leaders of Bangladesh Sleeper AC Bus Owners Association, Ship Owners Association, leaders of Sea-Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SQUAB) were present.
