Dhaka massacre sinks tourism with losses in the millions of dollars
Operators and association officials confirm the wave of cancellations, including locals. For one trader, “the situation is going to get worse”. A US travel warning “will affect us for a long time.”
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – The massacre of foreigners in Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic district and Bangladesh’s continuing sectarian violence have undermined international and domestic tourism.
The hospitality industry – hotels and restaurants – have seen a drop in business. In a few days, scores of foreign tourist have cancelled their booked holidays in the South Asian nation.
“Now the situation is going to get worse after the Gulshan hostage incident,” Sumon Dominic Gomes, a Catholic working as tourism trader, told AsiaNews.
“Some group bookings have been cancelled and the remaining foreign tourists do not want to go out sightseeing or dine in restaurants,” he explained. “They prefer to remain in their resorts.”
“What is more, the United States has issued a travel warning for possible dangers in visiting Bangladesh, and this will affect us for a long time.”
Akbaruddin Ahmad, a former president of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, agrees.
"More than 15 major international travel agencies have dropped packages and promotions because customers do not want to come,” he explained.
“The tourism sector was doing well and was profitable. If the government does not bring the violence under control, everything will be for nothing.”
For now, the cost of the attack can be measured in the "millions of dollars".
Right after the attack on 1 July, a local Catholic source told AsiaNews that the attack was highly symbolic. "They wanted to hit where it hurts the most: foreign investment in Bangladesh,” he had explained.
“They hope to get all foreigners to leave the country because they do not care about the welfare of the people. They wanted to show that they could attack the diplomatic heart of the capital, an area supposedly under tight controls."
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