Play store
Relentless rain, rough seas and four straight days of adverse weather have brought tourism in Cox’s Bazar to a near standstill, with around 50,000 tourists cancelling hotel bookings, industry insiders said.
About half of the rooms in more than 500 hotels, motels and resorts are now vacant, while tourist arrivals have dropped sharply.
Beachside shops and tourism-dependent businesses have also been forced to close or suspend operations.
The Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel-Guesthouse Owners’ Association said train services on the Dhaka–Cox’s Bazar route remain suspended, while road travel has been disrupted by waterlogging and traffic congestion.
Around 10,000 tourists are still in the resort town, though many are cutting their trips short.
Business leaders estimate the tourism sector has already suffered nearly Tk100 crore in losses over the past four days, affecting hotels, restaurants, transport operators and hundreds of small beach businesses.
Heavy rain has left popular beach points, including Laboni, Sugandha and Kolatoli, largely deserted, with activities such as beach biking, horse riding and chair-and-umbrella rentals virtually halted.
Beach vendors say they have earned little or nothing in recent days due to the sharp decline in visitors.
