Saint Martin reopens but no tourist ship sails on day one; services likely from Nov 5-6

Although tourist travel to Saint Martin island in Cox's Bazar was permitted from November 1, no tourist-carrying vessel operated on the first day. Ship operations have been delayed by a few days because the necessary administrative and technical approval processes have not been completed. Those involved, however, say vessels carrying tourists may start operating from November 5 or 6.

Under the government's policy decision, the tourism season on Saint Martin was due to begin on November 1. According to the decision of an inter-ministerial meeting of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change held on October 25, tourists will be able to visit Saint Martin until March 15, 2027 this season. To protect the environmental balance, a maximum of 3,500 tourists will be allowed per day, and each tourist will have to pay an environmental conservation fee of Tk 100.

Last-minute preparations are under way across the island ahead of the season. Renovation, painting, cleaning and redecoration work at hotels, resorts, cottages and restaurants is nearly complete. Business owners who suffered financial losses during the long tourist drought are hopeful about the new season.

Preparations are also going on at the Saint Martin jetty and the Nuniyarchhara jetty in Cox's Bazar for transporting tourists. Hosain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the ship owners' organisation Sea Cruise Operator Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), said preparations at the Saint Martin jetty are complete, but another stairway needs to be installed at the Nuniyarchhara jetty for passengers to board and disembark safely.

Hosain Islam Bahadur said that after approval from the Department of Environment, three vessels — MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Bar Aulia and MV Teknaf — have been permitted to operate on the Nuniyarchhara–Saint Martin route in line with BIWTA directives and conditions. The approval process for the other vessels is still ongoing.

Nayan Sheel, acting deputy director of the Cox's Bazar river port, said: 'The infrastructure work at the Nuniyarchhara jetty is almost finished. Some work remains, which will be completed within a day or two. Once approval is received from the authorities concerned, tourist vessel operations can begin.'

Meanwhile, a fresh sense of hope has spread among the island's business community. Mohammad Tayab Ullah, owner of a resort on Saint Martin, said: 'With business almost closed for a long time, it had become difficult even to run the establishment. The news of tourists coming is now a message of new hope for them.' Local businessman Alamgir Akash said Saint Martin's business depends mainly on a tourism season of two to three months, and the whole year's livelihood rests on the income of that period.

According to the Teknaf upazila administration, more than 300 applications have been submitted for renovating hotels, resorts and restaurants ahead of the tourism season, and permissions are being granted in phases after verification. The island currently has more than 200 residential hotels and tourism service establishments, large and small.

Alongside the preparations, there are also concerns about the safety of the pontoon where vessels berth. Local residents and business owners complain that long use has rusted and eroded parts of the pontoon. Local resident Shaker Alam said that although the jetty's main structure is ready, the pontoon is not in satisfactory condition and needs to be repaired quickly for tourists' safety. Foyezul Islam, acting chairman of Saint Martin Union Parishad, has also urged quick repair of the jetty pontoon.

Abdur Rahman, the representative in charge of the Saint Martin Hotel Owners-Businessmen Association, said: 'Once tourists start arriving, business on the island will regain momentum. It will have a positive impact on the livelihoods of thousands of people who depend on tourism.' Mohammad Saifuddin, assistant engineer of the Cox's Bazar Zila Parishad, said jetty development work worth about Tk 7 crore is ongoing, and efforts are being made to make the platform and other necessary parts usable before vessel operations begin.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer S M Anik Chowdhury said: 'This year's tourism season will be run giving the highest priority to environmental conservation. Renovation applications for hotels and resorts are being verified before permission is granted. Coordination is also being maintained with business owners and others concerned on cleanliness, waste management and environmental protection.'

Those involved expect that once regular vessel operations begin on November 5 or 6, Saint Martin — one of the country's most popular tourist destinations — will come alive again after a long period of stagnation.