With the beginning of December, tourist ships have resumed trips to Saint Martin's Island in Cox's Bazar after a nine-month halt. The ships have not only brought tourists to the island, but also smiles on the faces of local business owners in the tourism sector of the country's only coral island.

At around 10:00am today, a ship named Bar Aulia departed for Saint Martin with around 700 passengers from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Authority (BIWTA) terminal at Nunyarchhara in Cox's Bazar town.

Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin, present at the launch, said that trips to Saint Martin typically begin in November. However, this year, due to various government decisions, ship movement started on December 1.

Tourists must follow several regulations to protect the island's environment, including a ban on polythene and plastic. Additionally, travel passes are required to visit Saint Martin, which can be obtained via apps developed by the Bangladesh Tourism Board in cooperation with the Cox's Bazar district administration, he said.

Initially, the operation of tourist ships was scheduled to begin last Thursday. However, due to a lack of passengers, ship authorities temporarily suspended travel to Saint Martin, he added.

Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of the Saint Martin route, said, "After more than nine months of suspension, ship movement has resumed on the Cox's Bazar-Saint Martin route. Today, the Bar Aulia ship left for the island with around 700 passengers."

The ship is expected to reach Saint Martin around 4:00pm. Upon arrival, tourists will be welcomed with flowers by islanders wearing black badges as a symbolic protest against government restrictions on tourist movement on the island.

Currently, due to recent tensions near the Myanmar border, shipping from Teknaf is not allowed. Only ships departing from Cox's Bazar town are permitted to operate.

Previously, ships operated on the Teknaf-Saint Martin and Cox's Bazar-Saint Martin routes for six months, from October to March, with a halt during the remaining six months due to rough seas.

To address environmental pollution on the island, the government has decided to limit the number of tourists. This year, only 2,000 tourists will be allowed to stay overnight on the island during December and January.