Tourism Struggles In Saint Martin’s Island And Cox’s Bazar: Local Businesses Face Hardships Amid New Travel Restrictions, Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting Bangladesh

Published on November 3, 2025

Saint Martin’s Island successful Bangladesh, a celebrated tourer destination, has knowledgeable an unsettling commencement to its tourer play this November. Despite authorities announcements that allowed vessel operations to nan island, nan absence of visitors has caused interest among section traders. On some nan first and 2nd days of nan season, nary visitors arrived astatine nan island, a stark opposition to nan bustling months that usually travel nan commencement of nan season. The section businesses, peculiarly mini traders specified arsenic edifice owners and carrier operators, were hoping for a betterment aft nan effect of past disruptions. With regulations successful spot limiting visitant numbers and recreation restrictions, nan mobility arises: Will Saint Martin’s Island stay a viable destination for some visitors and section businesses this year?

Challenges Facing Saint Martin’s Island Tourism

For decades, Saint Martin’s Island, located successful nan Bay of Bengal disconnected nan confederate seashore of Bangladesh, has been a cardinal tourism hub. However, nan caller tightening of recreation rules is placing important strain connected some nan tourism manufacture and section livelihoods. According to nan Department of Environment’s regulations, only time trips are allowed successful November, and overnight stays are strictly prohibited. This has led to a important driblet successful nan number of visitors making nan trip, pinch nan latest figures showing zero arrivals connected nan 2nd time of nan season.

Impact of Government Regulations connected Tourism

Since October 22, nan government’s restrictions person allowed boats to run from Cox’s Bazar to Saint Martin’s Island, but only for a little play during nan day. Furthermore, only 2,000 visitors will beryllium allowed to sojourn per time successful nan coming months, pinch nan restrictions becoming moreover much stringent arsenic nan play progresses. These limits person disappointment galore imaginable visitors who were expecting nan accustomed elasticity that allowed for longer stays.

Local businesses, peculiarly those progressive successful hospitality and transportation, person felt nan effect astir sharply. Ship operators, for example, person noted that while nan travel from Cox’s Bazar to nan land takes astir 14-15 hours, nan regularisation of a one-hour enactment connected nan land deters visitors from making nan agelong trip. This has led to respective trips being canceled, arsenic evidenced connected nan first 2 days of nan play erstwhile only 4 group showed up to committee nan boats, pinch nary visitors connected nan pursuing day.

The Struggles of Local Traders

Local traders who dangle heavy connected nan seasonal influx of visitors are expressing their frustration. Many of them had invested heavy successful nan anticipation that this play would supply much-needed gross aft nan challenges of nan past fewer years. Restaurant owners, coconut vendors, and section drivers, successful particular, had hoped that nan three-month play would let them to retrieve their losses. Unfortunately, nan absence of visitors has put their businesses successful jeopardy.

One specified business owner, who runs a edifice adjacent nan island’s jetty, spent millions to rent a installation nether a semipermanent contract, only to spot nary returns frankincense far. Last year, disruptions specified arsenic nan Myanmar separator issue, coupled pinch authorities restrictions, severely constricted nan number of visitors to nan island. Even aft those restrictions were lifted, nan caller rules for this play person done small to animate assurance successful nan section traders. They now interest that nan play will walk without immoderate important earnings, forcing them to unopen down their operations altogether.

The Community’s Concern: Too Much Red Tape?

Beyond nan struggles of nan tourism operators, section organization leaders are raising concerns astir nan broader implications of these restrictions. A section Union Parishad personnel pointed retired that while nan authorities has reopened nan land for tourism, nan process has been analyzable by factors specified arsenic nan agelong recreation region from Cox’s Bazar to nan island’s jetty, which makes nan travel unappealing for tourists. The personnel emphasized nan request for a equilibrium betwixt protecting nan situation and ensuring nan livelihoods of nan section population, suggesting that these stringent measures mightiness beryllium undermining nan very intent of nan tourer season.

In summation to nan recreation distance, nan government’s biology concerns person led to nan implementation of 12 circumstantial conditions aimed astatine preserving nan island’s ecosystem. These regulations see measures to limit nan effect of tourism connected nan earthy environment, but they are seen by immoderate arsenic an obstacle for visitors who are already deterred by nan different restrictions.

What Travelers Should Know

For travelers readying to sojourn Saint Martin’s Island, it’s important to beryllium alert of nan existent recreation limitations and nan challenges progressive successful reaching nan island. Here are immoderate tips for anyone reasoning astir visiting:

• Plan for Day Trips Only: With overnight stays prohibited successful November, visitors tin only bask a time sojourn to nan island. This makes it important to scheme nan travel carefully, arsenic nan recreation clip to and from nan land tin beryllium long.
• Consider Alternatives: If nan agelong travel to Saint Martin seems daunting, see replacement destinations that mightiness connection a akin acquisition pinch less restrictions. Coastal areas adjacent Cox’s Bazar aliases different islands successful nan Bay of Bengal whitethorn connection much flexibility.
• Check Availability: Given nan strict regular limits of 2,000 visitors, travelers should cheque successful beforehand to guarantee they tin unafraid a spot connected 1 of nan boats. Otherwise, they whitethorn look cancellations aliases a missed opportunity.
• Support Local Businesses: If you do scheme to visit, see supporting section businesses specified arsenic restaurants, coconut vendors, and carrier services. Your patronage could make a important quality to nan struggling community.

Looking Ahead: Can Saint Martin’s Recover?

The existent business connected Saint Martin’s Island highlights nan delicate equilibrium betwixt biology conservation and nan needs of nan section community. While nan land is undoubtedly an important ecological treasure, nan economical effect connected section residents cannot beryllium ignored. With nan recreation restrictions and precocious costs of visiting, it remains to beryllium seen whether nan tourism manufacture tin bounce backmost successful a sustainable and profitable measurement for each stakeholders.

Conclusion: A Crossroads for Saint Martin’s Island

Saint Martin’s Island finds itself astatine a crossroads. As tourism numbers dwindle owed to stringent regulations, nan livelihoods of section residents are astatine risk. The island’s early arsenic a tourer destination will dangle connected uncovering solutions that equilibrium biology conservation pinch nan economical needs of nan community.