Luxury Seagull Hotel Planned for Teknaf

Located on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh, along the banks of the Naf River, Teknaf is a place of great natural beauty, with rolling hills, lush forests, majestic waterfalls, stunning beaches and a variety of bird and animal life. It is in this beautiful part of Bangladesh that Seagull Hotel Ltd is planning to build a luxurious five-star hotel to accommodate the increasing numbers of tourists, both domestic and international, who are choosing Teknaf as their holiday destination.

The success of the five-star Seagull Hotel in Cox’s Bazar has prompted the Dhaka-based holding company to initiate the process for purchasing land in Teknaf with a view to opening the a hotel for business in three years time. The cost of the hotel will be an estimated Taka 600 crore (one crore being equal to ten million). The land that Seagull Hotel has earmarked for development covers an area of approximately 18 acres. The new hotel will have a theme park, golf course, ropeway and an aquarium featuring the diverse marine life of the area.

Managing Director of Seagull Hotels, Masoom Iqbal, has appealed to the Bangladeshi government to take the necessary steps in order to make important tourist destinations, including Teknaf, more easily accessible to the growing tourism industry in Bangladesh. The suggested infrastructure improvements and developments for Teknaf would include an airport or properly graded landing strip, bus route and comprehensive railway communication facilities, with the objective of offering tourists reduced traveling expenses when they choose to holiday in this charming location.

Masoom has also expressed his concern for the way hotels and motels are springing up in Teknaf, with seemingly little regard for preserving the natural beauty of the area, thereby damaging one of the main attractions for holiday-makers who are looking for a tranquil break from busy cities. He is, therefore, calling for authorities to give urgent attention to sustainable tourism development. He believes that tourism in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Sonadia and St. Martins has the potential of generating revenue of between five and ten million U.S. Dollars per year.

Unofficial statistics reveal that there was a 35 percent increase in the number of tourists visiting Bangladesh in 2007, as compared with 2006. This is a clear indication that Bangladesh is gaining recognition as a worthwhile tourism destination, and in the not too distant future, visitors to Teknaf will be able to enjoy the many comforts of the luxurious Seagull Hotel.