Shakhawat Hussain, an executive of an apparel factory in Dhaka, packed his bags to spend the four-day Durga Puja holiday at a resort in Sylhet with his family.
“We rarely get time off, so I’m really enjoying this holiday,” he said, noting that work usually keeps him from traveling during festival seasons.
Shakhawat is not alone as many are taking advantage of the extended break resulting from the Durga Puja holiday coinciding with a weekend this year.
Many have added a day or two off from work, and despite unfavourable weather, the response has been overwhelming.
“Even with the weather challenges, people are still traveling,” said Md Nezam Uddin Bhuyan, general secretary of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh.
As such, popular spots like Cox’s Bazar are teeming with tourists.
“The beaches are packed,” said Abdul Mohaimin, a visitor from Lohagara, Chattogram.
He shared that after returning from abroad, he and his family stayed at the Ocean Paradise Hotel, where every room was filled.
Sakib Mashrur Bari, manager of Hotel Long Beach, said the holiday and school closures have boosted visitor numbers.
“Our hotel is fully booked, while it usually stays at around 70 percent occupancy,” he said, adding that the hotel has been fully booked until October 6-7.
Mizanur Rahman Milky, convener of the Cox’s Bazar Tour Operators Owners Association, said visitor numbers have increased not just in Cox’s Bazar, but also in Inani and Himchhari.
“The season is off to a strong start,” he added.
In Sylhet, resorts and tourist spots are experiencing a similar surge in visitors.
“Occupancy has increased by around 30 percent due to the long holiday,” said Arafat Hossain Akondo, president of the Houseboat Owners Association.
Md Sohag Hossain, sales and marketing manager at Novem Eco Resort in Sreemangal, said the demand for accommodations is much higher than that seen during previous holidays.
“We’ve had to turn away many guests, and the resort is fully booked until October 10,” he told TIMES.
Hossain attributed the surge to school holidays, government breaks, and the closure of other tourist spots.
However, travellers faced long delays due to heavy highway congestion, with journeys that usually take five to six hours stretching to more than 12 hours.
Meanwhile, Bandarban has been thriving despite regional tensions.
“The reopening of Keokradong Peak on October 1 brought over 500 tourists for hiking, and hotels and resorts are fully booked,” said Shirajul Islam, president of the Hotel, Motel, Resort Owners Association in Bandarban.
In contrast, hotels in Khagrachari and Rangamati are struggling as 80-90 percent of their rooms remain vacant, which the owners attribute to security concerns.
On the other hand, the Sundarbans saw a surge in tourism this holiday.
“We’re fully booked until October 5, which is rare for this time of year,” said Emran Sarker Emon, manager of Sundori Eco Resort.
Hasan Mohammad Ali, owner of Travel in Go, said 50 ships left for the Sundarbans in the first two days of the month.
“We usually offer three-day packages, and more tourists are taking advantage of the extended break,” he added.
For those unable to travel far from Dhaka city, nearby resorts in Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj and Narsingdi have emerged as suitable alternatives.
“I’m taking my family to a resort for two days,” said Masud ur Rahman, an IT professional.
“We managed to secure our room, but my friend is struggling to find one at his favourite resort in Gazipur,” he added.
But despite the extended break, international travel has been slow due to the recent visa restrictions imposed by various countries on Bangladesh nationals.
“We’re seeing only 10 percent of the customers compared to the last Eid holiday,” said Md Mohsin Iqbal, founder of Amazing Tours Bangladesh.
Ansar Hossen, Monirul Islam Monu, Shupriyo Chakma, Rypayan Chakma, our Correspondents at Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari contributed to this report.
