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After a quiet month of Ramadan with empty beaches and deserted tourist centres, Cox's Bazar is gearing up to welcome at least 1 million tourists during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Local traders and tourism people are hoping to make up for lost business, with expectations of around Tk 10 billion in revenue during the seven-day holidays.
According to Abul Kasem Sikder, president of Cox's Bazar Hotel Motel Guest House Owners Association, many tourists have already started contacting them, and an average of 80,000 to 90,000 visitors are expected in the beach town during the Eid holiday. To prepare for the influx of tourists, around 500 residential hotels have been renovated and cleaned up.
Tourism people are also hoping to attract visitors to other tourist centres in the district, such as Saint Martin, Inani, Himchhari, Ramu Buddha Vihara, Maheshkhali Sonadia, Adinath Temple, and Teknaf Mathin's Khup Park, which have remained silent throughout Ramadan.
Small businesses that have been closed during the month are opening up shops and preparing to welcome the tourists.
Mobile traders, oyster vendors, and small shops alike are gearing up around the beach as the upcoming Eid holiday is expected to bring a surge of tourists.
This year, Independence Day and Pahela Baisakh fell during the month of Ramadan, but tourists were not seen even on these two special days. Despite discounts of up to 50 per cent on room rates at 5-star luxury hotels and resorts, tourists did not respond.
However, the tourism sector people remain optimistic, as they say that every year during the Eid holidays, the whole week is full of tourists, with shortages of rooms in hotels, motels, and resorts.
The tourism industry is preparing for an influx of visitors, but concerns remain about the potential impact of the ongoing severe heat wave.
Shehrin Alam, assistant superintendent of police of Cox's Bazar Tourist Police, assured that security measures have been strengthened in tourist areas, including the beach, to ensure a safe and secure environment for visitors.
As Nur Mohammad Rabbi, assistant manager of Hotel Seagal, said they have completed all the preparations to welcome tourists on Eid.