The country’s only coral island, Saint Martin’s, came alive on Thursday with tourists after a 10-month break marked by uncertainty over the resumption of travel services.
On the first day of the current tourism season, the passenger vessel MV Baro Awlia reached the island carrying more than 800 tourists. A total of 827 tourists stayed overnight on the island, while nine returned to Cox’s Bazar on the same day.
The vessel reached Saint Martin’s jetty at around 1:20pm on Thursday. It had left the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority jetty at Nuniachhara in Cox’s Bazar town at 7:30am.
After disembarking the tourists at the scheduled time, the vessel departed for Cox’s Bazar without disruption.
The tourists’ arrival after a long gap created a festive atmosphere across the island. Local residents welcomed visitors with flowers and sweets.
Tourists Sumaiya and Rakib said they were delighted to visit Saint Martin’s after a long wait. They described the sea journey and the island’s natural beauty as a unique experience, adding that visiting on the first day of the tourism season fulfilled a long-held dream.
Former union parishad member of the island Shamsul Alam said tourism and economic activities on Saint Martin’s had remained largely stagnant during the prolonged suspension of tourist travel.
The island had become almost deserted, he said, adding that the resumption of passenger vessel services had brought back activity.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard is working to ensure tourists’ safety. It is also conducting activities to protect the island’s environment, biodiversity and ecological balance, said Saint Martin’s station commander Lieutenant Commander Maruf Ahmed Soukhin, EX, BN.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), an organisation of vessel owners operating on the Saint Martin’s route, said MV Baro Awlia had carried more than 800 tourists to the island on the first day of the season.
He said all three vessels approved to operate on the route were ready for service.
The other two approved vessels, MV Karnaphuli Express and MV Teknaf, are scheduled to begin operations on Friday.
The three vessels have a combined passenger capacity of 2,198. MV Baro Awlia can carry 850 passengers, MV Karnaphuli Express 732 and MV Teknaf 616.
Although the tourism season on Saint Martin’s began on November 1, uncertainty over vessel operations had delayed the resumption of tourist travel. The arrival of the first vessel on Thursday has now begun to restore tourism activities on the island.
Concerned people expect the resumption of tourism to give the island’s economy fresh momentum. They also stressed the need to follow government guidelines and ensure effective waste management to protect coral, biodiversity and the natural environment alongside tourism development.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
