Saint Martin’s Island will reopen to tourists on 1 November,2025 with strict limits on daily visitors and phased permissions for day trips and overnight stays, Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin announced on Thursday.
He said the tourism season would run until February, with only day trips allowed in November and December, while tourists will be permitted to stay overnight in January and February. To protect biodiversity, entry will be capped at 2,000 visitors per day under a registration-based system.
The adviser made the announcement at a press conference at the Secretariat on the occasion of World Tourism Day, where he also outlined the government’s tourism reforms and achievements over the past year.
“Our goal over the past year has been to ensure sustainable development, good governance, modernisation, and dynamism,” Sheikh Bashir Uddin said.
He informed that National Tourism Day has been upgraded from ‘G’ category to ‘K’ category, enhancing the sector’s recognition. A draft of the 2025 tourism policy has also been prepared after consultations with stakeholders, replacing the 2010 version, and it is now online for public feedback.
On regulation, he said the Travel Agency Control and Registration Act 2013 and the Travel Agency Registration and Control Rules 2022 have been amended to bring online travel agencies under the legal framework.
“During the last fiscal year, Tk 7.5 crore was collected in revenue from travel agencies, achieving 110 percent of our target. At the same time, licences of 13 agencies involved in syndicates and fare manipulation were revoked,” he said.
He added that new guidelines have been issued on community-based tourism, safe haor tourism, and responsible marine tourism.
On infrastructure development, the adviser said six regional offices of the Bangladesh Tourism Board are nearly complete. A new tourism motel and youth inn have also been opened in Bagerhat for visitors to the historic Sixty Dome Mosque.
“To make Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation more transparent and profitable, we have launched Marketing Strategy 2025 and introduced full automation. Issuing receipts for food sales has been made mandatory, and actions are being taken against violations,” he noted.
He also highlighted youth engagement, saying, “We have introduced entrepreneurship seminars, base camp training, and volunteer programmes. Already, 100 tourism volunteers have been trained in Cox’s Bazar, and capacity-building for tour operators and guides is underway.”
Cultural events such as Taste of Bangladesh in Dhaka and ethnic festivals in Sreemangal and Moulvibazar have also been used to showcase the country internationally, he said.
Outlining the government’s vision, Sheikh Bashir Uddin said tourism is being positioned as a key driver of development. “With responsible and sustainable management, Bangladesh will secure a strong and lasting position on the global tourism map,” he added.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasrin Jahan also spoke at the event.
