Kuakata in Patuakhali has not seen the tourists it hoped for even during the Eid holiday. Every year the beach area bustles with visitors at Eid and hotel rooms are hard to find, but this year the picture is completely different.

Although Friday was both the second day of Eid and the weekly holiday, tourist numbers were much lower, leaving hotel owners, traders and others in the tourism business disappointed.

Sources said most of Kuakata's more than 230 residential hotels, resorts and guest houses had not received the bookings they expected. Some had 20 per cent of rooms booked, others 40 per cent, and many had more than half their rooms empty. Many traders who had made big preparations for the Eid season now fear losses.

Visits to Zero Point, Lemburbon, Gangamati, Jhaubon, Block Point and the confluence of three rivers found far fewer visitors than in other years. Mobile stall owners, photographers, and motorcycle and horse-ride operators on the beach were sitting idle.

Al-Amin Khan, general manager of Sikder Resort and Villas, told Jago News: "We make extensive preparations every year for Eid, with special food, cultural programmes and security for tourists. But this time turnout has been very low by comparison, and many rooms are still empty." He believes the country's overall economic situation, higher travel costs and people cutting spending are behind it.

Md Sakur, director of Hotel Best Southern, said: "Our hotel has 32 rooms. At this time of Eid all the rooms are usually booked a week in advance, but this time only 19 have been booked. We have not seen such a quiet Eid season in 10 years. With fewer tourists, not only the hotel business but also hundreds of workers and small traders linked to it are facing losses."

Ibrahim Wahid, president of the Kuakata Hotel-Motel Employees Association, said: "Hotel staff are also worried because tourists are few. Kuakata's economy depends mainly on tourism. Without tourists, hotels, restaurants, transport and shops all suffer." He said most hotels' bookings were below expectations, and if the rest of the Eid holiday went the same way, businesses would face heavy losses.

Ruman Imtiaz Tushar, president of the Tour Operators Association of Kuakata (TOAK), told Jago News: "We expected more tourists this time because of the long holiday, but expectations have not been met. However, if the weather stays favourable and transport is normal, tourist numbers may rise in the days after Eid. We are running various campaigns to attract tourists."

Joyonto Kumar, in charge of the Tourist Police Kuakata zone, said tourist police patrols had been stepped up at key points on the beach to keep visitors safe. Round-the-clock surveillance was in place so tourists could move about freely, and law enforcers were on alert to prevent any untoward incident.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.