Tourism jolted by curfew

Tourism jolted by curfew

Zahra Mayeesha, a 26-year-old private job holder, was preparing to return to Dhaka from a two-day vacation to Sreemangal with her husband on July 16.
However, due to the violence stemming from the quota reform protests, the couple decided to delay their journey back to Dhaka, hoping to leave after another day or two. Those plans also fell through after the government imposed a nationwide curfew on July 20.
They had budgeted around Tk 18,000 for the two-day stay. As they were unable to return, their costs for hotel fare and food skyrocketed, a media report.
“Neither tour operators nor tourists were prepared for the recent situation, which occurred suddenly,” said Taufiq Uddin Ahmed, former president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh. He added that the unprecedented business shock had served as a bitter experience for tour operators, tourists, and tourism-centric businesses, but hoped the impact would not be felt for long.