Tourism
G-20 summit casts spotlight on Bali's tourism revival
Dozens of world leaders and other dignitaries are traveling to Bali for the G-20 summit, drawing a welcome spotlight on the revival of the tropical island’s vital tourism sector.
Tourism is the main source of income on this idyllic “island of the gods” that is home to more than 4 million people, who are mainly Hindu in the mostly Muslim archipelago nation.
So the pandemic hit Bali harder than most places in Indonesia.
Read more: Ukraine war, tensions with China loom over big Bali summit
Before the pandemic, 6.2 million foreigners arrived in Bali each year. Its lively tourism scene faded after the first case of COVID-19 was found in Indonesia in March 2020, with restaurants and resorts shuttered and many workers returning to villages to try to get by.
Foreign tourist arrivals dropped to only 1 million in 2020, mostly in the first few months of the year, and then to a few dozen in 2021, according to government data. More than 92,000 people employed in tourism lost their jobs and the average occupancy rate of Bali hotels fell below 20%.
The island’s economy contracted 9.3% in 2020 from the year before and again contracted nearly 2.5% year-on-year in 2021.
“The coronavirus outbreak has hammered the local economy horribly,” said Dewa Made Indra, regional secretary of Bali province. “Bali is the region with the most severe economic contraction.”
After closing to all visitors early in the pandemic, Bali reopened to Indonesians from other parts of the country in mid-2020. That helped, but then a surge of cases in July 2021 again emptied the island’s normally bustling beaches and streets. Authorities restricted public activities, closed the airport and shuttered all shops, bars, sit-down restaurants, tourist attractions and many other places on the island.
Monkeys deprived of their preferred food source — bananas, peanuts and other goodies given to them by tourists — took to raiding villagers’ homes in their search for something tasty.
The island reopened to domestic travelers a month later, in August, but in all of 2021 only 51 foreign tourists visited.
Things are looking much better now. Shops and restaurants in places like Nusa Dua, a resort area where the G-20 meeting is being held, and in other towns like Sanur and Kuta have reopened, though business is slow and many businesses and hotels are still closed or have scaled back operations.
Read more: US supports India for G20 presidency
The reopening of Bali's airport to international flights and now the thousands coming for the G-20 summit and other related events have raised hopes for a stronger turnaround, Dewa said.
More than 1.5 million foreign tourists and 3.1 domestic travelers had visited Bali as of October this year.
Embracing a push toward more sustainable models of tourism, Bali has rolled out a digital nomad visa scheme, called the “second home visa" and due to take effect in December. It's also among 20 destinations Airbnb recently announced it was partnering with for remote work, also including places in the Caribbean and the Canary Islands.
The recovery will likely take time, even if COVID-19 is kept at bay.
Gede Wirata, who had to lay off most of the 4,000 people working in his hotels, restaurants, clubs and a cruise ship during the worst of the pandemic, found that when it came time to rehire them many had found jobs overseas or in other travel businesses.
The G-20 is a welcome boost. “This is an opportunity for us to rise again from the collapse," he said.
There's a way to go.
Read more: Putin won’t be at G20 summit, avoiding possible confrontation with US
“The situation has not yet fully recovered, but whatever the case, life has to go on,” said Wayan Willy, who runs a tourist agency in Bali with some friends. Before the pandemic, most of their clients were from overseas. Now it's mostly domestic tourists. But even those are few and far between.
Bali has suffered greatly in the past. At times, the island's majestic volcanos have rumbled to life, at times erupting or belching ash.
The dark cloud of the suicide bombings in Bali's beach town of Kuta that killed 202 mostly foreign tourists in 2002 lingered for years, devastating tourism on the island usually known for its peace and tranquility.
Recent torrential rains brought floods and landslides in some areas, adding to the burdens for communities working to rebuild their tourism businesses.
When the situation started to improve, Yuliani Djajanegara, who runs a business making traditional beauty items like massage oils, natural soaps and aromatherapy products under the brand name Bali Tangi, got back to work.
She had closed her factory in 2020 when orders from hotels, spas and salons in the U.S., Europe, Russia and the Maldives dried up, taking orders for her products from more than 1,000 kilograms (1 ton) to almost nothing.
So far, Djajanegara has rehired 15 of the 60 workers she had been obliged to lay off during the dark days of the pandemic.
She's hopeful, but cautious.
“Tourism in Bali is like a sand castle," Djajanegara said. “It is beautiful, but it can be washed away by the waves.”
Ban on tourism in Bandarban extended till Nov 8
Bandarban district administration has further extended the temporary ban on tourism at Ruma, Rowangchhari, Alikadam and Thanchi upazilas till November 8 as part of high security measure.
A public notice regarding the extension was issued from Bandarban Deputy Commissioner’s office on Friday following a letter from Bandarban Cantonment.
The travel ban on domestic and foreign tourists has been extended as the law enforcement agencies will conduct patrol and continue intelligence activities in the district against suspected militants, said the notice.
This is the fourth such restricttion imposed for safety of tourists amid anti-militancy drive in the district's remote forested areas.
On October 29, the tourism ban in the upazilas was extended till today (Friday).
Read more: Ban on tourism in Bandarban’s 4 upazilas extended till Nov 4
The administration imposed the temporary restriction on visitors in Ruma and Rowangchhari upazilas on October 18 morning.
On October 23, the local administration discouraged tourists from traveling to Thanchi and Alikadam upazilas due to the same reason.
Read more: Temporary ban on tourism at Rowangchhari and Ruma to fight ‘militants and criminals’
From October 10, law enforcement agencies started a joint drive against the underground extremists and criminals in the district.
Already battered by Covid-19, load shedding hits hard Kuakata tourism, fisheries sectors
Already hit-hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, when tourism and fisheries sectors in Kuakata are trying to make a recovery, frequent load shedding have dealt another blow.
Bearing the brunt are hotel and motel owners in Kuakata, wholesale fish traders in the district’s Alipur and Mahipur landing stations, and trawler owners.
When the government decided to stop buying liquified natural gas (LNG) from the international spot market because of a sharp price hike in July, the power supply situation began to deteriorate. Daily hour-long area-based load shedding started across Bangladesh from July 19, 2022 to tackle the ongoing energy crisis.
Owners of hotels, motels, ice mills and fish traders said they are counting huge losses due to incessant power cuts.
Read More: Kuakata Sea Beach, Bangladesh: Magnificent sunrise, sunset views to remember
Motaleb Sharif, General Secretary of Kuakata Hotel Motel Owners Association and Owner of Kuakata Guest House, said that the number of tourists in Kuakata is dwindling due to rampant load shedding.
“There are a total of 150 big and small hotels and motels in Kuakata. Although these establishments were abuzz with tourists, this isn’t the case anymore. We’re frustrated with up to six load shedding every day. Tourists are losing interest because of the inconvenience,” Motaleb said.
He added that although they had informed the Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury about the problem and demanded establishment of a power sub-station in the area, no steps have been taken yet.
Rahim Khan, owner of Khan Palace, said that refrigerators and air conditioners are being damaged due to the frequent power cuts.
Read More: Dead dolphin washes ashore on Kuakata beach
“We have to spend more than what we earn from the boarders. We experience load shedding even on weekends, which is discouraging tourists. Although a 1320 MW thermal power plant has been set up in Payra, people of Patuakhali are yet to reap its benefits,” Rahim said.
5 Sundarbans eco resorts to experience world’s largest mangrove forest
Beyond the luscious greenery and eye-soothing forestry, Sundarbans is also the largest mangrove forest in the world. Situated in the southwestern end of Bangladesh, the forest comprises over 10,000 square kilometers of unaltered forest. Of this, over 6,000 square kilometers are situated in Bangladesh part.
Every year, there’s a high influx of tourists in the post-monsoon and early winter seasons. Naturally, several eco-parks and resorts have been built to cater to the growing number of tourists each year. Let’s look at some of the best eco-resorts in Sundarbans which can be an ideal stay for your visit to the world’s largest Mangrove forest.
5 Popular Eco Resorts in Sundarban
Harbaria Eco Park
The first one on the list is Harbaria Eco Park. The place was first established as a tourism center back in 2010. Subsequently, the area was expanded to make way for the eco-park. The place itself is situated deep within the forest area on the opposite bank of the Sundarbans.
Read Sundarbans reopens to tourists, fishermen after 3 months
Tourists can easily visit the eco-park from the Mongla Port downstream through the Rupsha river.
There is a large open area to embrace the scenic beauty of the Sundarbans. Moreover, the wanderlusts can easily hop onto one of the watch towers of Sundarbans to experience the surrounding majestical panoramic views.
Iraboti Eco Resort and Research Center
Iraboti Eco Resort offers some of the best cottage experiences in the greater Sundarban Area. Moving away from the main Rupsha river, the cottage is nestled upstream on the Goran tributary.
Read Sundarbans to have 4 more eco-tourism centres
The resort itself also serves as a research center for Sundarban wildlife. On the river end, several cottages are arranged facing the deep jungle of Sundarban right across the river. The cottage also has its own boats for touring the mangrove forest.
The tourists can easily spot hordes of monkeys and deer as they move along the bank. And if it's a lucky day, the travellers might even see the royal Bengal Tiger.
Iraboti has a standard package of single cottage housing 4 people for 4000 BDT per day. The rate is standard for all the cottages with food expenses charged separately.
Read Sundarbans tourism: Now focus on automation to improve services
Ship operations on Cox’s Bazar-Saint Martin’s route begin
Ship operations from Cox’s Bazar town to the Saint Martin’s Island began on Thursday, with the advent of this year’s tourism season that will last till March.
The journey began after MV Karnaphuli, a cruise ship carrying 750 passengers, set sail for the coral island from the district’s BIWTA Ghat at about 7:30am.
However, ship movement on the usual Teknaf-Saint Martin’s route has remained suspended by due to the emergence of chars in various parts of the Naf river.
Samrat Chowdhury, a tourist who was travelling to the Saint Martin’s Island with his family, said that although his long-cherished wish of visiting the island has been fulfilled, it would be nicer if he could go to Teknaf through the Marine Drive road and make the journey from there.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, Director of MV Karnaphuli, said that the ship is set to leave Cox’s Bazar at 7:30am and reach the Saint Martin’s at 12:30pm, while it will start the return journey at 3:00pm and reach the BIWTA Ghat at 8:30pm.
Mujibur Rahman, Chairman of Saint Martin’s Union Parishad, said that they have taken allout preparations to welcome the tourists.
Read: Tourist ship operations suspended on Teknaf-Saint Martin's Island route
“Tourists are coming to the Saint Martin’s Island after seven months. The government has taken various steps to protect the biodiversity and environment of the island. We’re conducting awareness-raising campaigns so that tourists don’t pollute the island. Also, a total of 120 hotels-motels and 50 restaurants are ready to meet the demand for accommodation and food of the tourists,” said Mujibur.
Tofayel Ahmad, President of Sea Cruise Operators’ Association Bangladesh (SCOAB), talked about the danger of operating ships on the Teknaf-Saint Martin’s route.
“A fighting has been ongoing between the Myanmar army and Arakan Army for the last two months across the border, which is located just beside the Naf river where the tourist ships used to ply,” he said.
On the other hand, he said, some chars have also emerged in Naf River’s Bandar Mokam and other points, where ships have a chance to get stuck.
“So, we’ve accepted the government’s move to stop movement of ships on this route,” said Tofayel.
Some ship owners told UNB that besides MV Karnaphuli, two more ships are going to be added to the fleet within the next 30 days.
On October 15, a ship --MV Baro Auliya--with a capacity for 550 passengers will start its journey, while another ship --Bay One--with a capacity for 1500 passengers will start operating from Chattogram’s Patenga to the coral Island from November 3.
Md Erfanul Haque Chowdhury, the acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Teknaf, provided some reasons why ship operations between Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar have been suspended.
Read: Cyclone Yaas: Unusual tides destroy Saint Martin's jetty
“The Naf river is facing a navigability problem due to the emergence of multiple chars at the confluence of the river and Myanmar’s Naikkhongdiya area. In recent times, the media has published news of tourist ships getting stuck in these chars for hours,” said Erfanul.
Also, a total of seven timber-laden trawlers coming to the Teknaf Land Port from Myanmar capsized in the Naf river after colliding with these chars, he said.
“That’s why the government has advised the ship owners to search for alternative routes,” he said.
Master plan for tourism in Bangladesh to be formulated in Dec: State Minister
The government is going to formulate a master plan for tourism in Bangladesh to take the tourism industry forward, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali said today.
“The formulation of the master plan will be completed in December this year and through its implementation, the country’s tourism sector will enter a new era,” he said while speaking at a programme on the occasion of World Tourism Day in Dhaka.
Read: Tourism is a powerful driver for sustainable develop
Earlier, in the day, he also inaugurated a rally, a food festival and a live cooking show of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is sincere about the development of tourism and if we work together, we can achieve our target soon,” said the minister.
Noting that, there is immense possibility in the tourism sector, Mahbub said, “We have to highlight our history, culture, heritage and nature to tourists and establish these elements as brands.”
Read: Sundarbans to have 4 more eco-tourism centres
He also stressed the need for publicity of Bangladesh’s positive features so that foreign tourists are drawn.
The state minister also said that the additional deputy commissioner will be given the charge to coordinate the development work in the tourism sector in the districts of Bangladesh.
World Tourism Day to be observed on Tuesday
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has taken an initiative to observe 'World Tourism Day 2022' in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world on Tuesday.
This year's theme ‘Rethinking Tourism’ is set by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages marking the day.
In his message, the President said every region of this country has distinct beauty and numerous unique tourist and heritage sites. If the tourism industry develops in these regions, employment opportunities will be created for a large number of people, which will become an important regulator in the development of the people's living standards and the development of the economy.
Read: Sundarbans to have 4 more eco-tourism centres
“We celebrate the ‘World Tourism Day' every year to create awareness about the social, cultural, political and economic importance of tourism as well as to inform everyone about the contribution of tourism in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and the national economy,” he said.
The president urged all the public and private stakeholders to carry out development activities in the tourism industry maintaining and preserving the environmental balance and the cultural heritage of the country.
In a separate message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged to work together for the development and evolution of tourism and build hunger-poverty-free Golden Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation by effectively portraying the country's tourism industry in the world forum.
Sundarbans to have 4 more eco-tourism centres
Tourist spots in the country’s southern districts, including the Sundarbans and the historic Shat Gombuj Mosque, are seeing sizeable flow of tourists as travelling has become easy after Padma Bridge opened.
The Forest Department is going to open four more eco-tourism centres in the Sundarbans to manage the growing number of tourists.
Muhammad Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer of Sundarbans East Zone, said the mangrove forest is seeing a sharp rise in the number of tourists after the inauguration of Padma Bridge.
Read: Sundarbans reopens to tourists, fishermen after 3 months
Four new eco-tourism centres are being set up in Alibanda, Andharmanik, Shekhertek and Kalabagi to handle the growing tourist flow.
There are already seven eco-tourism centres at Karamjal, Herbaria, Kalagachia, Katka, Kochikhali, Dubla and Heron Point for tourists visiting the Sundarbans.
Tourists can visit the three centres in Karamjal, Herbaria and Kalagachia with a fixed entry fee and they have to return within the day.
Read “RAB freed Sundarbans from robbers and inspired a quality film”
Sri Lanka ready to welcome Bangladeshi tourists, others: Envoy
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sudharshan Seneviratne has said his country is ready to welcome tourists from Bangladesh and other parts of the world.
The government has taken necessary measures to give people back their confidence, he added.
"What we are projecting now is about confidence. This is a very important thing. We are also looking at enhancing our economic status by proper management," he told reports at a media briefing at the high commission Thursday.
Seneviratne said their stock market and exports are doing far better and there is progress in other areas that give a picture of confidence to people to come and visit Sri Lanka.
The Covid pandemic and recent political situation battered Sri Lanka's tourism, one of its biggest foreign currency earners.
Everything has now returned to normal and conducive conditions have been created for visiting the country, Seneviratne said, urging the Bangladeshis to consider Sri Lanka as their tourist destination.
The high commissioner highlighted the emergence of Bangladesh as a key target market in South Asia with its palpable presence.
Bangladesh has proven its self-determination, economic development and resilience within a very limited time while broadening their horizon, especially in trade, investment and tourism, Seneviratne said.
Sri Lanka Convention Bureau Chair Thisum Jayasuriya said the situation in Sri Lanka now has totally changed and there is no queue for fuel or anything on the street.
The country now has enough fuel for essential services like buses, trains and medical vehicles, and steps have been taken to give special importance to tourists for their pleasant stay and travel, he said.
Jayasuriya, however, blamed a section of the media who exaggerated the situation, adding that there was no food crisis in the country.
Also read: IMF agrees to provide crisis-hit Sri Lanka $2.9 billion
"Tourists from various countries have already started visiting Sri Lanka. We are expecting that more than one lakh tourists from different parts of the world will visit Sri Lanka by December this year," he said.
Bangladesh, Russia for stronger cooperation in tourism
Bangladesh and Russia are exploring ways to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector.
A webinar titled "New horizons for Bangladesh-Russia Tourism Relationship through new dimensions of tourism cooperation with Murmansk Region" was held Saturday.
The event was organised by the Committee on Tourism of Murmansk with the support of the Russian House in Dhaka.
Abu Sufian, editor of travel magazine Vromon, and Olga Yumatova, an aide to the governor of Murmansk, moderated the webinar.
The representatives from Murmansk, Bangladesh tourism companies,and officials from both sides highlighted the natural beauty, tourist safety and potentials of their countries and shared their presentations.
Read: Moscow lauds Dhaka's commitment to friendly ties with it
Ekaterina Semenova, chargé d'affaires of the Russian Embassy in Dhaka, attended the webinar as the chief guest, and Maxim Dobrokhotov, head of the Russian House, as special guest.
MGR Nasir Majumder, director and in charge of Tourism Development of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mohammad Ali Mia, inspector general and head of Tourist Police, and Saidur Rahman, director of the Passport and Immigration Department, were also present.
Managing directors of 5-star hotels in Bangladesh and media persons also participated in the discussion.
Elena Bass, chief executive officer of Compass Tours and Travels, and Saif Ali Khan, managing director of Global Explore, working with Russia since 2017, spoke about opportunities in Bangladesh for further development of tourist exchanges.