The Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh president Mohammed Rafiuzzaman, on Saturday said that they would initiate stronger movement if any restrictive measures were implemented ahead of the upcoming tourism season in Saint Martin and Cox’s Bazar.

At a press conference at the Economic Reporters’ Forum auditorium in Dhaka, he said that collaboration among the government, the Ministry of Environment and the other tourism stakeholders was needed to protect both environment and tourism industry.

The press conference, organised by the Saint Martin Poribesh and Porjatan Okkya Unnoyan Jote, protested the government’s recent decision to restrict tourist activities and overnight stays on the coral island.

The livelihoods of thousands of people in the tourism sector in Cox’s Bazar and Saint Martin rely on earnings generated during just four months of tourism, from November to February, he said.

Rafiuzzaman said that while tourists are unable to visit the island for the remaining eight months of the year, prioritising environmental restoration during this period is essential.

The association also called for the development of a sustainable tourism policy, with input from stakeholders, to protect both the industry and the island’s ecosystem.

A comprehensive policy should be formulated to ensure responsible tourism, Rafiuzzaman said.

The event was attended by Shiblul Azam Qureshi, chairman of the Saint Martin Poribesh and Porjatan Okkya Unnoyan; Habibur Rahman, owner of Sinbad Resort Experience and Beyond; Unus Ali, director of TOAB; and Nurul Alam, president of the St. Martin Union BNP.