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Tourism rides on Eid spirits

Swine flu rattles outbound travellers

Sayeda Akter
Advance bookings for hotels and airlines have piled up. as local travellers prepare to celebrate Eid at tourist destinations both at home and abroad.
Industry insiders hope the domestic tourist flow will increase this year, as most people are likely to get a weeklong holiday, when Eid and Durga Puja, the two major religious festivals, will be observed back to back.
But outbound travels may falter due to a looming scare of swine flu.
The tourism industry boomed in die past decade, fuelled by a growing habit of die urban middle-class to travel during festivals, supported by their financial solvency.
“The trend started 10 years back, when corporate houses started flourishing in die country. That was when the young generation began celebrating festivals outside home,” said Hasan Monsur, managing direc -torofGuideTours.apremier tour operator.
This year, the number of tourists, mainly outbound travellers, might be deterred by the swine flu threat, he said. “The global tourism industry is soon likely to face the consequences of swine flu as it spreads."
Industry leaders said tourists on the home front would mainly head towards Cox's Bazar and die Chittagong Hill Tracts to celebrate Eid, as the peak time to go to the Sundarbans is yet to come.
Most hotels and resorts in Cox's Bazar, the country's main tourist destination, are already fully booked in advance, said industry people.
Motel Shoibal, the biggest motel of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation in Cox's Bazar, has been booked in advance for a week after Eid.
“Usually, die rush of tourists begins by mid-October. Nevertheless, we are fully booked because of the long Eid and Durga Puja holiday this year," said Sujit Barua, general manager of the motel.
He said the middle class groups are able to travel within the country during festivals, as it is quite affordable. This is the time for hotels to earn 30 percen t of their total income.
The tourist flow will continue 10-12 days after Eid and will peak with the onset of October, Barua said.
There are around 200 hotels, motels and guesthouses in Cox’s Bazar providing both five-star and budget accommodation.
Seagull, a five-star hotel in Cox's Bazar, is fully booked for the second and third day of Eid. It is expected to be full for the rest of the week, said Masoom Iqbal, managing director of the hotel.
"However, a majority of our bookings are for the week following Eid," he said. "We have just passed a third of the Ramadan month, with two thirds still remaining. We hope to be fully booked by next week."
Mid-end hotels in Cox's Bazar, such as Albatross, have also received 90 percent advance bookings for five days after Eid, said Rasel Ahmed, manager of the hotel.
Besides Cox's Bazar, other tourist spots like Rangamati, Kuakata, Bandarban and St Martin’s island are also popular among domestic travellers.
Nazrul Islam, project head of the Mirinja Tourist Complex in Bandarban, said they registered around 70 percent advance bookings. "We will accept bookings until Eid."
Rezaul Raihan, general manager of Blue Marine resort on St Martin's island, said their occupancy rates remain high during Eid and the festival plays a big role in encouraging domestic tourism, even beyond the peak season from mid-October to March.
Apart from the tourist belt in the southern region, tourists will also flock to several other resorts in the country and early bookings are common everywhere.
Masud Hossain, executive director of The Bengal Tours Ltd, which operates tours to the Sundarbans, said it received low
advance bookings as the Eid holiday comes prior to the season.
Tawfiq Uddin Ahmed, president of Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) and managing director of Galaxy Travel International, said a majority of the outbound tourists are headed towards Malaysia, Thailand and India.
“These destinations are most popular among the local tourists, as it is easier to arrange. Additionally, before the holiday, many people are going to India to do their Eid shopping."
Budget airlines, like Air Asia, are offering discounts to outbound tourists. Kingfisher Airlines is also offering discounted fares for the Eid vacationers.
sayeda@thedailystar.net