Starting today (Thursday), Bandarban’s tourism industry is back in full swing after the lifting of travel restrictions.
A total of 74 popular tourist spots and nearly 80 hotels and motels are now open and ready to welcome visitors.
To attract more tourists, many local hotels and transport services are offering big discounts.
Hotel bookings are being offered at 35% off, while transportation fares are reduced by 20%. These offers will be available throughout November.
The lifting of the travel ban, announced on Wednesday, has brought a wave of excitement to the region.
Hotel and motel owners immediately began cleaning and preparing their properties for tourists.
Workers, who had been sitting idle during the restrictions, were called back to help get everything ready.
In addition, transportation services have resumed with nearly 450 vehicles, including jeeps, microbuses, and chander cars, all set to transport visitors.
At a press conference held this morning in a local hotel, Sirajul Islam, the president of the Hotel-Motel Owners` Association, and Jasim Uddin, the general secretary, expressed their joy at the return of tourism.
They mentioned that the tourism industry had struggled due to the pandemic and other challenges.
The travel ban had been in place since October 8, but now that it’s lifted, they are focused on improving services for tourists.
To make the stay more affordable, they’ve reduced hotel room prices by 35%, resort rents by 25%, and food prices by 10%.
Nasirul Alam, president of the Transport Owners` Association, also shared that transport fares would be discounted by 20%, and the special pricing will last until November 30.
With these new offers and the easing of restrictions, Bandarban is hopeful that tourism will once again thrive in the coming weeks.