Ramadan Lull Leaves Cox's Bazar Hotels 90% Empty

More than 90% of hotel rooms are vacant midway through the holy month, despite discounts of up to 60%

Feb 27, 2026 - 15:34 Updated: Feb 27, 2026 - 21:14

Ramadan Lull Leaves Cox's Bazar Hotels 90% Empty

Sunset at Cox’s Bazar, the longest natural sea beach in the world. Photo: Md Zakir Hossain/Getty Images

The long stretch of beach at Kolatoli tells the story. By late morning, rows of umbrellas and deckchairs sit largely unused, the sea rolling in to an almost empty shoreline. A lone jet ski circles offshore, waiting for customers who never arrive.

Midway through Ramadan, more than 90% of hotel rooms in Cox’s Bazar are vacant despite discounts reaching up to 60%, according to local tourism leaders. Air-conditioned rooms that once rented for Tk 2,000 a night are now available for Tk 800 to Tk 900. Even so, bookings remain thin.

The Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Resort Owners Association says daily arrivals have averaged between 2,000 and 2,500 visitors since the start of Ramadan. Weekend numbers briefly climb to around 3,000 before dipping again to 1,500 to 2,000. The slowdown stands in sharp contrast to mid-February, when more than 150,000 tourists reportedly crowded the beach over two days following the national election.

“Visitor numbers usually fall during Ramadan,” said Mukim Khan, General Secretary of the association. “This year, even deeper discounts have not generated the expected response. We are now hoping for a strong rebound after Eid.”

The quiet has created a mixed picture. Some visitors welcome the calm. Suja Uddin and his wife Kamrun Nahar, who travelled from Mirpur in Dhaka, said they enjoyed the peaceful setting. “There’s no crowd, just the sound of the sea,” he said.

But for businesses, the silence carries a cost. Many restaurants and shops at Sugandha, Seagull and Laboni points have temporarily closed. Of more than 700 eateries in the town, a significant number have shut for the month.

Beach vendors, horse handlers and bike operators are also largely inactive.

The Cox’s Bazar Hotel Guesthouse Owners Association estimates that around 30,000 of the town’s roughly 50,000 hospitality workers have been sent on leave with advance pay. With occupancy levels plunging, operators say maintaining full staffing is not financially viable.

Many hotels are using the downtime for repainting, repairs and renovations.

At Samudra Bari in Kolatoli, occupancy has dropped from a typical 85% during the winter peak to just 8 to 10% this Ramadan. “We reduced Tk 2,000 rooms to Tk 900, but only three or four rooms are filled each day,” said hotel official Saiful. “Utility bills and maintenance costs remain. It’s difficult to cover expenses.”

Tourism stakeholders are now looking ahead to Eid-ul-Fitr, when visitor numbers traditionally surge. If post-Eid occupancy reaches 70 to 80%, operators believe they may recover part of the losses.

For now, Cox’s Bazar presents a striking contrast: a serene, nearly empty shoreline alongside anxious hotel owners watching bookings stall, all waiting for the Eid rebound to revive business.

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