Dhaka, Aug 21 (PTI) The recent anti-government protests that rocked Bangladesh for over a month have hit the hospitality sector hard in the capital Dhaka with the majority of rooms at several luxury and economy hotels here going empty in the aftermath of the unrest. Dhaka is both the political and financial capital of Bangladesh and home to several landmark commercial properties managed by international hotel chains which cater largely to business travellers. Senior managers at many of these hotels say, the "heaviest impact" was felt in July when huge booking cancellations took place resulting in a "big financial loss".
PTI spoke to front office employees, managers and restaurant staff at some of the luxury chains as well as economy hotels located in plush areas, and they all painted a sombre picture of the current condition of the hospitality sector in Dhaka. "The situation is now a bit better, but still far from normal in our sector as the majority of the rooms are still empty. While a certain section of business travellers are still coming, after the unrest in the country, the number of guests occupying rooms have dramatically shrunk," a senior manager in the sales department of a luxury hotel told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
This five-star hotel operating under the current brand name for a year-and-a-half is located in a towering building near Gulshan enclave -- an affluent area which also houses several diplomatic missions of foreign countries in Bangladesh. "We h.