Bangladesh’s Saint Martin’s Island will reopen to tourists on November 1, with travel permitted until March 15, 2027, under restrictions aimed at protecting the island’s fragile ecosystem and biodiversity.

A maximum of 3,500 tourists will be allowed to visit the island daily during the season, and each visitor will have to pay a Tk 100 environmental conservation fee. Tourists must also obtain a travel pass and comply with existing environmental protection guidelines.

Under the rules, visitors may travel to the island for day trips only in November. Overnight stays will be permitted in December and January, while tourist access will remain completely suspended throughout February.

However, authorities have yet to clarify whether overnight stays will be allowed during the additional 15 days in March, as the travel season has been extended until March 15 this year.

Sabrina Rahman, a senior assistant secretary at the ministry, said the existing notification would remain in effect.

“This means the previous rules on overnight stays will continue to apply, even though the period for tourist visits to Saint Martin’s Island has been extended,” she said.

New Measures for Tourist Ships and Travel Passes

The decisions were made at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 12. On Sunday, the ministry’s Environment-2 branch issued instructions to the relevant ministries and agencies to implement the decisions.

The guidelines issued on October 22 last year will remain in force.

Under the new instructions, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Department of Shipping will not be allowed to authorise vessel operations to Saint Martin’s Island without approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Approved tourist vessels will operate from the Nunia Chhara jetty. The Department of Environment has also been instructed to take the necessary measures to collect the conservation fee.

Tourists must purchase tickets online through a web portal recognised by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. Each ticket must include a travel pass and a QR code. Tickets without a QR code will be considered counterfeit.

Barrister Mutasim Billah Faruqui, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, said the board had made adequate preparations to ensure that travel passes and QR codes were incorporated into tourist tickets.

Strict Rules to Protect the Island’s Ecosystem

The existing guidelines include restrictions on visiting periods, overnight stays, daily tourist numbers and activities that could damage the island’s natural environment.

The rules prohibit lighting up beaches at night, creating excessive noise and holding barbecue parties. Visitors are also prohibited from entering keya groves, collecting or trading keya fruit, or harming marine turtles, birds, corals, horseshoe crabs, snails, shells and other forms of biodiversity.

Motorcycles, sea bikes and all other motorised vehicles are prohibited from operating on the beach. Tourists are also instructed not to carry banned polythene bags or single-use plastic products.

Although the daily limit has been set at 3,500 visitors for the upcoming season, the previous notification specified that an average of no more than 2,000 tourists could visit the island each day. The latest instructions retain the earlier guidelines, leaving the relationship between the previous limit and the new daily cap unclear.

More Than 1,000 Species at Risk

According to the Department of Environment, Saint Martin’s Island is home to 1,076 species of biodiversity. The ecologically critical island has faced mounting pressure from unplanned infrastructure development, large tourist crowds and environmental pollution.

Authorities introduced restrictions on tourist access and overnight stays to reduce the damage and protect the island’s ecosystem.

During the interim government’s tenure, tourist visits were restricted as part of wider conservation measures. Although the island was scheduled to reopen on November 1 last year, tourists could not visit that month because ship services were suspended. Overnight stays were allowed only in December and January, when a daily maximum of 2,000 visitors could travel to the island and stay overnight.

Security Concerns Previously Halted Ship Services

Four years ago, between nine and 11 vessels carried approximately 5,000 to 6,000 tourists from Teknaf to Saint Martin’s Island every day during the tourist season.

However, tourist vessel services on the Teknaf–Saint Martin’s route were suspended amid conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the Arakan Army’s expansion of control, reported gunfire targeting Bangladeshi trawlers and passenger vessels in the Naf River, and incidents involving the abduction of Bangladeshis along with their boats.

Signs of Marine Life Recovery

Local residents say tourist vehicles, including motorised three-wheelers and motorcycles, previously travelled along the beach during the tourist season, killing snails, shellfish and other marine creatures.

They say the absence of tourists over the past nine months has allowed snails and shellfish to reproduce along the beach. The collection of coral and algae has also remained suspended.

Authorities hope that restrictions on tourist numbers, transport, overnight stays and environmentally harmful activities will help preserve Saint Martin’s Island’s fragile natural habitat.