Bhutan Bids for Tourism Revival
Bhutan has halved its daily tourist fee to revitalize its tourism economy from US$ 200 (INR 16,509) to US$ 100 (INR 8,254). The move hopes to attract international tourists to Bhutan, which is still recovering from COVID-19.
Bhutan upped its ‘Sustainable Development Fee’ to US$200 per night from US$65 when pandemic restrictions were lifted in September 2022. The reasoning then was that these funds would help offset the carbon footprint left by tourists. However, this fee hike limited the influx of visitors.
The administration announced a four-year reduced charge starting in September. Dorji Dhradhul, Director General, Department of Tourism, Royal Government of Bhutan, expects this price reduction to boost visitors during the peak tourist season from September to December. He also stated that over 56,000 tourists had visited Bhutan since January, including 42,000 Indians who paid INR 1200 (US$ 14.5) per day.