Ending a long wait, the country's only coral island, St. Martin's, is reopening to tourists starting November 1. This time, travel opportunities will remain open for four and a half months, lasting until March 15, 2027. At the same time, the government has increased the daily tourist entry limit to a maximum of 3,500. Previously, a maximum of 2,000 tourists were permitted to visit daily.
This decision was announced on Sunday through a letter from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. According to the directives, only authorized passenger vessels will be allowed to operate to the island from the Nuniarachhara Jetty in Cox's Bazar. For this, respective vessel owners must obtain the necessary government approvals.
To travel to the island, each tourist must pay an environmental conservation fee of 100 Taka. Tourists must purchase tickets online through a web portal approved by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. The tickets will include a travel pass and a QR code. Tickets without a QR code will be considered invalid.
However, previous environmental conservation restrictions on travel remain in effect. In November, tourists will only be able to visit the island during the day; overnight stays will not be permitted. Overnight stays will be allowed at a later time. Lighting fires on the beach at night, creating loud noises, and holding barbecue parties will be prohibited.
To protect the island's biodiversity, entering the Kewra forests, collecting or selling Kewra fruits, and harming sea turtles, birds, corals, horseshoe crabs, and snails or oysters will not be allowed. The operation of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and sea-bikes, is also prohibited on the beach. Additionally, carrying or using polythene and single-use plastics is banned. Tourists are advised to use their own water flasks instead of plastic bottles.
These decisions were made during an inter-ministerial meeting held on October 12, chaired by Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo. Emphasis has been placed on controlling the number of tourists and movement on the island to maintain a balance between environmental conservation and tourism.
If the maximum of 3,500 tourists visit daily throughout the designated 135-day season, the total number of travelers will reach 472,500. Accordingly, the potential revenue from the environmental conservation fee could amount to 47 million 250 thousand Taka.
