Saint Martin’s Island: Tourist season with overnight stays begins tomorrow

Tourist season on Saint Martin's Island begins tomorrow and will continue for two months until the end of January next year.

During this period, visitors will be allowed to stay overnight on the island.

Passenger vessels will start operating on the Cox's Bazar Saint Martin route from tomorrow. Ship operators said up to 2,000 tourists will be able to travel daily.

Photo: Mokammel Shuvo

Hossainul Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners' Association of Bangladesh, said, "Only three cruise ships will leave for Saint Martin's at 6:00am [Monday morning]. The daily quota of 2,000 passengers had not yet been filled."

Although the island opened to tourists on November 1, ship operations remained suspended as visitors showed little interest due to restrictions on overnight stays.

Shibli Azim Kashemi, president of the Saint Martin's Hotel and Resort Owners' Association, said tourist numbers are expected to rise after December 15, when annual examinations end at schools.

Sujon Ghosh, a tourist, said they arrived in Cox's Bazar early today and were checking ticket availability for the island. "The staff told us tickets are still available, so we are happy we can go tomorrow," he said.

Md Sohel, a tourism businessman, said, "News of the tourist season finally beginning has lifted our spirits."

Jamir Uddin, director of the Department of Environment's Cox's Bazar office, said ships will be closely monitored during passenger movement and no more than 2,000 tourists will be allowed each day.

The district administration will strictly enforce the government's 12-point instruction to protect the island's biodiversity, including regulation of tourist schedules and numbers, a bar on lighting, loud noise and barbeque parties on the beach at night, restriction on entry to keya forest and collection and sale of keya fruits, and a bar on activities harmful to marine turtles, birds, corals, mud crabs, shells or other biodiversity.