The Rangamati District Administration has issued a directive discouraging tourists from visiting Sajek Valley starting October 4 until further notice, due to ongoing concerns regarding law and order in the region. In a letter signed by Rangamati Additional District Magistrate Md Saiful Islam, the administration emphasized the need to prioritize the safety of tourists, citing the overall security situation in Sajek and its surrounding areas of Baghaichhari upazila. This decision comes in light of recent unrest in Khagrachhari and Rangamati, which has raised significant safety concerns. Read: Tourists discouraged from visiting Sajek till Sept 30 Earlier, the administration had already extended the travel discouragement period for tourists from September 28 to September 30, and again from October 1 to October 3. The situation has become increasingly critical, with reports indicating that around 1,500 tourists and 500 drivers and staff were recently stranded in Sajek Valley due to a blockade prompted by local unrest. This disruption has resulted in significant challenges, including shortages of essential supplies like drinking water, gas, and food. In response to these difficulties, resort owners have been offering discounts of up to 75% to accommodate stranded tourists. However, considering the prevailing circumstances, the administration has determined that discouraging further travel to Sajek is a necessary precaution. Read more: 1400 tourists stranded in Sajek return to Khagrachhari with army’s help Tourists are urged to stay updated on the situation and consider alternate destinations for their travel plans until the administration provides further guidance. The Rangamati district administration said it will ensure the safety and security of all visitors.

Travelling is an exciting adventure that exposes us to new cultures, cuisines, and experiences. However, amidst the excitement, one must be vigilant about food safety to ensure a healthy trip. Food poisoning can quickly turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. In this article, we will delve into useful tips to safeguard the tourists against food borne illnesses while on the move. Practical Ways to Prevent Food Borne Illness While Travelling Research Local Cuisine Before journey, travellers need to delve into the local culinary scene and customary food safety protocols of their destination. This preliminary research equips them to make the right decisions about dining options. Understanding the local food landscape helps to anticipate what is in store and make choices that align with your own preferences and safety. It ensures a more enjoyable and worry-free gastronomic experience. Choose Reputable Restaurants It is better to select well-established, reputable restaurants renowned for their commitment to hygiene and patron safety. These dining venues adhere to rigorous cleanliness standards. This certifies a secure and pleasant dining environment. By choosing such establishments, a traveller not only guarantees a delightful culinary experience but also prioritises his or her health and well-being. In this case, the traveller knows that the food served is prepared and handled with the highest regard for safety and quality. Read more: 7 Comforting Soups for Upset Stomach Avoid Street Vendors with Poor Hygiene Indulging in street food is tempting, but be discerning—steer clear of vendors with questionable hygiene. Instead, one may opt for those who maintain visible cleanliness and serve a steady stream of customers. Prioritising hygiene in street food adventures makes sure a safer culinary experience. It allows one to relish local flavours without compromising well-being during travels. Drink Bottled Water In certain regions, it is always suggested to opt for bottled water to guarantee safe consumption. It is safe to prioritise bottles with an unbroken seal, verifying their authenticity. This cautious approach ensures traveller’s hydration is clean and secure. It safeguards their health during travels. They should always try to make an informed choice to keep themselves refreshed and well, no matter where they go. Wash Fruits and Vegetables Thoroughly Before consuming raw fruits and vegetables, it is essential to wash them meticulously with clean water. This process helps eliminate any potential contaminants, including dirt, pesticides, or bacteria. It guarantees that what one eats is fresh, safe, and free of harmful substances. Taking this simple precaution significantly contributes to a healthy and enjoyable dining experience. Read more: Upset Stomach Remedies: What to eat, drink and avoid

Hong Kong will give away air tickets and vouchers to woo tourists back to the international financial hub, racing to catch up with other popular travel destinations in a fierce regional competition. During the pandemic, the city largely aligned itself with mainland China’s “zero-COVID” strategy and has relaxed its entry rules months slower than rivals such as Singapore, Japan and Taiwan. Even after it reopened its border with mainland China in January, tourism recovery was sluggish. On Thursday, Chief Executive John Lee launched a tourism campaign “Hello Hong Kong,” saying the city will offer 500,000 free air tickets to welcome tourists from around the world in what he called “probably the world's biggest welcome ever”. “Hong Kong is now seamlessly connected to the mainland of China and the whole international world and there will be no isolation, no quarantine," he said at a ceremony. “This is the perfect timing for tourists, business travelers, and investors from near and far to come and say, ‘Hello, Hong Kong.’” Under the campaign, most of the plane tickets — worth 2 billion Hong Kong dollars ($255 million) — will come from three Hong Kong-based airlines through various promotional activities, including lucky draws, “buy one, get one free” promotions and games. The project will begin in March and last about six months, said Fred Lam, CEO of the Airport Authority. “We hope those who secure the air tickets can bring two or three more relatives and friends to the city. Although we are just giving away 500,000 air tickets, we believe this can help bring Hong Kong over 1.5 million visitors,” Lam said. The airlines will distribute the tickets in phases, with the Southeast Asian markets set to benefit in the first stage, he said. An additional 80,000 air tickets will be given away to Hong Kong residents in the summer, Lam said. Those living in the Greater Bay Area will also benefit from the policy that offers over 700,000 tickets in total. The Greater Bay Area is a Chinese government initiative to link Hong Kong with neighboring mainland cities, including the technology and finance hub of Shenzhen and the manufacturing powerhouses of Dongguan and Foshan. Visitors can also enjoy special offers and vouchers among other incentives in the city, Lee said. Hong Kong received 56 million visitors in 2019 — over seven times its population — before the pandemic began. But its strict COVID-19 restrictions have been keeping visitors away over the past three years, devastating the tourism sector and its economy. The city’s GDP last year fell 3.5 % from 2021, according to the government’s provisional data. In the past few months, it finally dropped its mandatory hotel quarantine rule and PCR tests for incoming travelers, resulting in a slight increase in arrival figures. Still, its 2022 visitor numbers were just 1% of the 2019 level. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that the program was launched on Thursday, not Wednesday.  

Cox’s Bazar is now buzzing with tourists who have flocked to the beach town to witness 2022’s final sunset and welcome the New Year. Tourists and locals enjoyed the last sunset of 2022 on the beach and bid farewell to 2022. Masud Chowdhury and Samantha Rahman, a tourist couple from Narayanganj, said, “We welcome 2023 with a trip to Cox's Bazar to let go of disappointment, sadness, and pain." Apart from the beach, tourists flock to the city's Burmese market, Himachari, Inani, Patuatek, and other tourist attractions. Tourism businessmen, beach workers, and tourist police are busy hosting tourists. Abul Kashem Sikder, general secretary of the Cox's Bazar Hotel Motel Guest House Owners' Association, said that some 90% of rooms have already been reserved for the '31st Night' (New Year's Eve) celebration this year. Read more: Revellers gather in Cox's Bazar to usher in New Year Executive Magistrate Masum Billah, in charge of the tourism cell of the district administration, said that like every year, lakhs of tourists have gathered at Cox's Bazar beach to welcome the year 2023. Md. Zillur Rahman, Police Superintendent of Tourist Police, said that the tourist police have also taken several security measures to ensure the safety of tourists. “Additional police will be deployed in Himchari, Inani, and Patuartek zones when the St. Martin cruise starts on January 1,” he said. Read more: Cox's Bazar: Long weekend over Xmas a fillip for domestic tourism

The authorities have reopened the Sundarbans for tourists, fishermen and wood collectors after a three-month closure. The closure was enforced to ensure safe breeding  of many wild animals. On the first day of reopening, 75 tourists were allowed to enter  the world’s largest mangrove forest by ship ‘The Web’ around 12 am to experience tranquility and beauty of the forest, Majharul Haque, joint general secretary of Sundarbans Tour Operators. Read:Expectations abound as tourists set to return to Sundarbans from Sept 1 Another ship with 40 artistes entered the Sundarbans Thursday morning. Six more ships with 250 visitors are set to enter the forest on Friday, said an official of the Forest Department. Earlier, the Forest Department imposed the three-month ban on tourists from June 1 to August 31 in the Sundarbans, to coincide with what is the peak breeding season for most animals in the forest. The entrance of visitors from home and abroad, fishermen, wood and honey collectors remained restricted during this ban period. Moreover, no boats and ships were allowed to move in the rivers. Some wood collectors (Bawal) and honey collectors (Mowal) entered the Sundarbans on Thursday after taking pass from the Forest Department. Read: Padma Bridge to bring good luck for the Sundarbans tourism Tour operator, launch and boat owners have taken adequate measures to attract more tourists, said Mazharul Haque.  HM Dulal, a tour operator of the Sundarbans, expected that a large number of tourists will visit Sundarbans due to better communication system as people can easily travel to the forest by crossing the Padma Bridge.

On the verge of completing a somewhat opportunistic three-month ban on tourism in the Sundarbans, there is a growing buzz within the travel and tourism community over the opportunity to return to, or experience anew its unique wonder and tranquillity. The Bangladesh portion of the world’s largest mangrove forest, also the country’s first World Heritage Site as designated by Unesco, is set to reopen for tourists from home and abroad on September 1 (Thursday). Read: Jute growers paying for drought that resulted in discoloured fibre Earlier, the Forest Department had imposed a three-month ban on tourists from June 1 to August 31 in the Sundarbans, to coincide with what is the peak breeding season for most animals in the forest. It came on top of the various limits and restrictions that piled up over a period of two years during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Forest Dept. was probably able to announce the tourism ban during the breeding season this year due to the already depressed state of the industry.

Police arrested two members of an extortion gang in a case filed over kidnapping four tourists and keeping them in captivity at a Kolatoli cottage in Cox's Bazar. The arrestees were identified as Rashedul Islam, 25, and Md Shakil, 22, from Islampur area at Eidgaon upazila in Cox’s Bazar, said Md Rezaul Karim, Additional Superintendent of Cox’s Bazar tourist police on Sunday. They were arrested on Sunday night from Sugandha point of the beach. Also read: 4 rescued from Cox's Bazar cottage; 11 extortion gang members held “The arrestees in primary interrogation confessed they were part of a gang of at least 11 people who used to trap tourists to come to Sheuli cottage and later involved them in women and drugs related scandals to blackmail and extort money,”said Additional SP Rezaul Karim. “They used to capture objectionable photos of the tourists secretly and later threaten to spread them through the internet. As a result none of the people who became victims of this gang’s ploy so far reported the matter to police,” he said. A case was filed in this regard against four named people and seven or eight anonymous people in this regard at Cox’s bazar sadar police station. “Two of the named accused have been arrested and efforts are on to arrest others,” said Additional SP Rezaul karim. Also read: Depression in Bay: Avoid Cox’s Bazar beach, say tourist police On August 7, a team of Tourist Police raided Sheuli Cottage at night and rescued four people from captivity of a gang, members of whom managed to flee. Two of the rescued people came to Kolatoli with patients and went to Sheuli Cottage to spend the night as some of the gang members offered rooms at low rates, said police. When the tourists refused to pay the inflated prices later claimed by the gang members, they locked the rooms from outside, said police.

Turkish airstrikes killed eight tourists in northern Iraq and wounded over 20, Iraqi Kurdish officials said on Wednesday. At least four missiles struck the resort area of Barakh in the Zakho district in the semi-autonomous Kurdish-run region, district mayor Mushir Mohammed told The Associated Press. All the casualties were Iraqi citizens. Hundreds of Iraqi tourists come to the Kurdish region from the south during the peak summer months because the weather is relatively cooler. The touristic sites in Zakho is nearby military bases set up by Turkey. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi dispatched a delegation to the area lead by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes into northern Iraq and has sent commandos to support its offensives targeting elements of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party or PKK. Read: Iraqi soldiers kill nine IS militants Wednesday's attack marked the first time that tourists had been killed in the frequent attacks by Turkey in the area, the officials said. In April, Turkey launched its latest offensive, named Operation Claw Lock, in parts of northern Iraq - part of a series of cross-border operations started in 2019 to combat the outlawed PKK who are based in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq. The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and has led an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984 which has killed tens of thousands of people. Ankara has pressed Baghdad to root out PKK elements from the northern region. Iraq, in turn, has said Turkey's ongoing attacks are in breach of its sovereignty.

Cox’s Bazar, the country's top tourist attraction, experienced an increased flow of tourists from different parts of the country during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, boosting business for the large section of the population of the coastal city engaged in the tourism sector. Our correspondent found the beach area overcrowded with the presence of tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic hit over two years ago. Footfall of thousands of tourists gave the beach area a festive look. The hotel and motel owners were particularly happy with the presence of tourists. Besides, the local administration took adequate measures to ensure security, and police, Ansar and lifeguards worked round the clock to provide it. Laboni point and Sugandha point of Cox’s Bazar are the most attractive points for tourists where a number of people thronged to take a break from the monotonous routine of life.    Many people were seen roaming in the beach area on bikes. Also Read: 140kg boal fish netted in Cox's Bazar  Abu Taleb Shah, General Manager of Hotel Cox’s Today, said “The businessmen involved in the tourism sector are happy with the presence of tourists after a two year long pause and 90% rooms of different hotels and motels are still booked after Eid holiday and it will remain till May 11.” Selim Newaz, a hotel businessman, said they expected more tourists till May 10 if the weather remains favorable, which can help the tourism industry to boost further. Abul Kashem, general secretary of Hotel Motel Guest House Samity, said “After Eid holiday we have seen that 70% rooms are still booked. Many people, who celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in their home village, are now coming here.” Additional superintendent of Cox’s Bazar Police, Rezaul Karim, said a foolproof security has been taken to ensure security of the tourists and the authorities concerned also took steps to provide pure drinking water and medical services. Almost no untoward incident was reported or took place, he said. Executive Magistrate Murad Uddin, of the local administration tourist cell, said alongside district police, four magistrates, tourists’ police, lifeguard workers and beach workers are working round the clock to provide security to the tourists. There are 500 hotels, motels and guest houses where 2 lakh people can easily be accommodated at any one time in Cox's Bazar. Also Read: RAB rescues man from Cox's Bazar who went into hiding one year back  

For travelers heading to Europe, summer vacations just got a whole lot easier. Italy and Greece relaxed some COVID-19 restrictions on Sunday before Europe's peak summer tourist season, in a sign that life was increasingly returning to normal. Greece’s civil aviation authority announced that it was lifting all COVID-19 rules for international and domestic flights except for the wearing of face masks during flights and at airports. Previously, air travelers were required to show proof of vaccination, a negative test or a recent recovery from the disease. Under a decree passed by Italy's health ministry, the country did away with the health pass that had been required to enter restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other venues. The green pass, which showed proof of vaccination, recovery from the virus or a recent negative test, is still required to access hospitals and nursing homes. Also read: Australia welcomes back tourists with toy koalas, Tim Tams Some indoor mask mandates also ended, including inside supermarkets, workplaces and stores. Masks are still required on public transport, in cinemas and in all health care and eldercare facilities. As of Sunday, visitors to Italy also no longer have to fill out the EU passenger locator form, a complicated online ordeal required at airport check-in. “It was needed,” said Claudio Civitelli, a Rome resident who was having his morning coffee at a bar near the Trevi Fountain. Until Sunday, patrons had to wear a mask to enter bars and restaurants, though they could remove them to eat and drink. “We have waited more than two years.” At a nearby table, Andrea Bichler, an Italian tourist from Trentino Alto-Adige, sat with similarly maskless friends. Also read: India opens to vaccinated foreign tourists after 18 months “It’s much better,” Bichler said. “Let’s say it’s a return to life, a free life.” Public health officials say masks still remain highly recommended for all indoor activities, and private companies can still require them. Even with the restrictions increasingly going by the wayside, public health officials urged prudence and stressed that the pandemic was still not over. Italy is reporting 699 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and is recording more than 100 deaths per day, with a total confirmed death toll at 163,500. But hospital capacity remains stable and under the critical threshold. Given the virus is still circulating, "we should keep up the vaccine campaign, including boosters, and keep up behavior inspired by prudence: wearing masks indoors or in crowded places or wherever there's a risk of contagion,” said Dr. Giovanni Rezza, in charge of prevention at the health ministry. Italy was the epicenter of Europe's outbreak when it recorded the first locally transmitted case on Feb. 21, 2020. The government imposed one of the harshest lockdowns and production shutdowns in the West during the first wave of the virus, and maintained more stringent restrictions than many of its neighbors in subsequent waves.