BANDARBAN — About 95 percent of hotel rooms in this hill district have been booked in advance, with heavy tourist arrivals expected between Dec. 16 and Dec. 25, hoteliers said Friday.
Tourism operators said nature lovers visit the district known as the “daughter of the mountains” throughout the year, and arrivals rise sharply during holidays and the winter season. Tourist numbers had fallen in recent years because of restrictions on visiting several tourism sites in the district, they said. With those restrictions now lifted at all sites, arrivals have picked up again, prompting visitors to lock in lodging early.
Akkas Uddin, manager of Hotel Grand Valley, said the hotel has 45 rooms. “About 90 percent of our rooms have been booked in advance through Dec. 16-25,” he said.
Tapan Barua, manager of Hotel Hilton, said about 80 percent of his rooms have been booked for the same dates.
Masud Parvez, manager of Hilview Hotel, said about 40 percent of rooms were currently occupied. “Through Dec. 16 to Dec. 25, about 80 percent of rooms have been booked in advance,” he said.
Mohammad Jafar, owner of Hotel Garden City, said his hotel had a good run of visitors this month and that about 70 to 80 percent of rooms had been booked in advance for the days ahead.
Jasim Uddin, general secretary of the Bandarban Hotel Owners Association, said the tourism sector has gained fresh momentum this December. He said the advance booking trend will play an important role in helping local tourism and lodging businesses recover from earlier losses.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report