Khulna tourism industry is bearing the brunt of oil spill spread over Shela river and its adjacent canals in Sundarban as oil tanker Southern Star–7 sank in the Shela river in the World’s largest mangrove forest on December 9.
Hundreds of people engaged in tourism are now passing their idle time as tourists are reluctant to visit Sundarban following the accident fearing that they would face unwanted situation due to oil spill, said Sundarban Tourist Club executive director Md Abdullah Bony.
Tourists from home and abroad prefer to visit tourist spots in Sundarban in late autumn and winter as weather remains calm and quiet in these seasons.
Sundarban hums with movement of tourists from home and abroad in November, December and January every year, as students and service holders prefer to enjoy the beauty of nature visiting tourist spots and also to have a glimpse of wild animals mainly deer and tigers in this period, but the oil spill has created panic amongst the tourists, said Rupantar Ecotourism executive director Nazmul Alam David.
‘Our business has suffered serious setback as tourists have cancelled their programmes for visiting Sundarban,’ Nazmul said.
Two other stalwarts of Khulna tourism industry — Royal Tours executive director Md Faruque and The Guide Tours executive director Hasan Mahbub Bablu — said that their business had almost collapsed this year.
Over 200 tourists who booked rooms at different hotels for staying during visit to Sundarban already cancelled their programmes, said Hasam Mahbub, adding that 12 package programmes for visiting Sundarban had also been cancelled.
Owners of hotels and motorised launches and boats also expressed grave concern over the fate of their business as tourists had cancelled bookings.
‘My two-storied motor-launch is often fully booked during November to January every year for visiting spots like Karomjal, Katka, Kachikhali, Dublarchar, Jamtali and Hiron point, but this year it is yet to be booked,’ said ML Paradise owner Mohiuddin Ahmed.
City Inn managing director Alamgir Hossain said that 13 Australian and British tourists were staying at the hotel, but they were in a dilemma whether to cancel their programme for visiting Sundarban.
- The New Age
