As concrete crowds out nature in Cox’s Bazar, foreign tourists stay away

Cox’s Bazar, home to the world’s longest natural sea beach, is one of Bangladesh’s most popular tourist destinations. But while domestic visitor numbers are booming, the town has struggled to attract foreign travellers. Critics say the beach town has become increasingly “concrete”, with high-rise hotels and poor planning eroding the natural environment that once defined it. Official records show that Cox’s Bazar has nearly 600 registered hotels, motels, and resorts. The Cox’s Bazar Hotel & Guest House Owners’ Association says that just the 3-square-kilometre area of Kolatoli alone sprawls with 538 hotels, motels, resorts, and cottages. According to the Cox’s Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as many as 2–2.5 million Bangladeshis travel to the beach during peak season. But...