Tourists Allowed to visit St. Martin's from November 1: Rizwana Hasan

Tourists will be allowed to visit St. Martin’s starting November 1, confirmed Environmental Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday (October 19), she said, “From November 1, tourists will be allowed to visit St. Martin’s. However, whether they will be allowed to stay overnight will be decided after discussions with the Ministry of Tourism.”

Earlier, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change imposed a nine-month ban on tourist entry to the island to protect its biodiversity and fragile ecosystem. The restriction severely affected the island’s tourism industry tourist vessels stopped operating, jetties fell silent, and hundreds of workers became jobless.

The government stated that the ban aimed to preserve St. Martin’s delicate biodiversity and transform it into a sustainable, community-centered eco-tourism destination.

While the island will reopen for day visits in November, the decision on overnight stays remains pending, pending further coordination between the Environment and Tourism Ministries.