St Martin’s businesses fear economic collapse

Bangla Press Desk: The government’s decision to regulate tourist access during the peak season on St Martin’s Island, the country’s only coral island, has freshly sparked widespread concern among residents and business owners who heavily depend on tourism for their livelihoods.

Locals warned that if the ban remains in effect like the previous year, the livelihoods of nearly one-third of the island’s residents, particularly those involved in hotel and resort operations, dried fish trading, and coconut vending, will face severe uncertainty.

Tourism insiders said that the ban on overnight stays in November on the island had heavily affected the tourist inflow last year during the peak season, which could worsen further this year.

According to the government decision last year, tourism will be allowed for just 3 months of the year as part of efforts to protect the native biodiversity. Besides, visitors will be allowed on the island in November, but they cannot stay at night.

Overnight stays will be allowed in December and January, but the number of tourists on the island cannot exceed 2,000 per day. The island will remain closed to tourists in February. Cleaning and conservation initiatives will be conducted then.

Md Tayyab Ullah, manager of Hotel Mermaid Resort and a resident of St Martin, said, previously, many visitors could depart from Teknaf’s Damdamiya Jetty around 9am, reach St Martin by late morning, and stay for a day before returning in the evening.

“However, with the introduction of new travel routes from Inani or Nunia Chhara, tourists will have extremely limited time, sometimes less than one hour, to spend on the island before having to return. This will cause devastating losses to an economy and discourage tourists massively.”

Local entrepreneurs have urged the government to allow overnight stays during the peak season and to resume ship operations from Teknaf Damdamiya Ghat. They believe such measures would help sustain the tourism-driven economy and protect the livelihoods of roughly 90% of the island’s population.

Echoing this concern, Shibli Azam Qureshi, president of the Hotel and Resort Owners Association, said, “We prepare throughout the year for this period. But the decision to restrict overnight stays has left us devastated. Employment will vanish, and the local tourism industry will crumble.”

Ismail Hossain, a local dried fish trader, added, “Tourists are the foundation of our business. If they can’t stay overnight, our income will drop to zero for the entire season.”

 Acting Chairman of St Martin Union Parishad, Faizul Islam, noted that apart from fishing and tourism, there are no significant sources of income on the island. “Most residents rely on small tea stalls or grocery shops for their livelihoods. Without tourists, survival will become extremely difficult,” he said.

 When contacted, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehesan Uddin stated that tourists will have to depart from Cox’s Bazar’s Nunia Chhara Jetty or Ukhiua’s Inani Navy Jetty to reach St Martin.

“We have not got any fresh official notification yet regarding how many tourists can visit, how long they may stay, or whether visits will begin in November or not. As a result, the previous decision remains in force,” he added.

BP/SP