Saint Martin’s Falls Silent as 9-Month Tourism Ban Takes Effect

The Chronify

February 1, 2026

Bangladesh’s only coral island has officially closed its doors to visitors today, February 1, as part of a strict environmental conservation effort. Following a shortened three-month season, over 200 hotels and resorts have shuttered, leaving the island’s delicate ecosystem to recover in total seclusion.

The seasonal curtains have closed on Saint Martin’s Island, with the government imposing a nine-month travel ban that will last until October 31, 2026. The decision, spearheaded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, aims to give the "battered" coral ecosystem a chance to breathe by halting all human activity. By Saturday afternoon, the final 3,000 tourists and seasonal workers had evacuated the island on six departing ships and wooden trawlers, leaving the beaches and markets deserted.

This year's tourism window was notably shorter and more restricted than previous years. Although the island technically opened in November, the prohibition of overnight stays during that month led to a total lack of visitors until December. According to the Sea Cruise Operator Owners Association, approximately 117,000 tourists visited during the brief two-month peak of December and January. To minimize environmental damage, authorities enforced a daily cap of 2,000 visitors and a total ban on single-use plastics, beach fires, and loud music.

The closure marks a difficult period for the island's 10,000+ residents, most of whom depend entirely on the three-month tourism window for their annual income. Local business owners have expressed concern over significant financial losses, noting that the shortened season made it nearly impossible to recover investments. However, environmentalists and government officials maintain that the "ecological rest" is essential to prevent the irreversible loss of the island’s corals, sea turtles, and rare marine biodiversity.