Travel content creator Jannat has expressed sorrow and removed her promotional videos of TupTup Resto and Resort after 10 tourists were killed in a fire at the resort in Inani, Cox’s Bazar.
Known on social media as “Jannat the Lunatic Traveller”, she had previously made promotional videos comparing the resort to resorts in Bali, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. She has around 400,000 followers on her Facebook page.
Following the fire on Saturday, Jannat removed the videos and published a Facebook post explaining her position.
In the post, she said, “Sharing travel experiences and ensuring the safety of an establishment are two different things. Content creators are not in a position to investigate technical matters such as a resort’s fire safety, building structure and required approvals.”
However, she acknowledged that the content they create can influence people’s travel decisions. She said the promotional videos had been removed out of a sense of ethical responsibility towards her audience. She added that, in future, she would try to be more mindful of safety-related issues alongside sharing her travel experiences.
Meanwhile, Jannat has faced criticism on social media for producing promotional videos portraying the resort as a high-end tourist destination. In several of her videos, she praised the resort, saying, “You don’t need Malaysia, Bali or Thailand; Bangladesh itself has a comfortable resort.”
The fire broke out at TupTup Resort, located in the Patuartek area of Inani in Ukhiya, between 7am and 7:30am on Saturday. Ten tourists were killed in the incident. The fire caused extensive damage, burning down parts of the resort. Several other people also sustained burn injuries.
According to the Fire Service, the resort did not have a fire safety clearance certificate. Following an inspection in June, the establishment was also identified as unsafe and issued a warning notice.
The incident has renewed discussions about fire safety, structural safety and regulatory compliance at tourist destinations. Concerned members of the public have also raised questions about the responsibilities of content creators when promoting tourist destinations on social media.
