Thimphu, Bhutan: Over the period of last eight months, Bhutan has received more than 52,000 tourists, which has reflected that the country’s statistics are moving forward in a positive direction in the tourism industry’s resurgence, as per the Bhutan Tourism Department.
A large number of tourists and visitors across the world have paid the new sustainable development fee (SDF), which exceeds those visitors who paid the old rates. Around 32,500 tourists are from India, among the international tourists who paid Nu 1,200 per night.
Whereas the number of international tourists touched the mark of 19,000. The released data does not include the visitors who came for the official visits.
The Director General of the Department of Tourism, Dorji Dhradhul, said that the new SDF is not picking up slowly as when it was started on September 23rd because of the increased SDF rates.
He extended his remarks and noted that the SDF rate had raised concerns among the service providers after the revision to USD 200 per cent per night. The current arrivals are beyond the anticipations of the Tourism Department considering the current trends, reported Bhutan Live.
In his address, Tourism Minister further outlined that they seriously believe in and trying to enhance the tourism industry and accelerate the tourism recovery.
He said that the sector is doing well compared to the neighbour countries in the localities. The arrival rate is near 45 per cent, which the department has forecasted, he added.
Moreover, Bhutan’s Guide Association has extended the information, which showcased that there was an increase in the number of tourists travelling to Bhutan.
The chairperson of the Guide Association of Bhutan named, Garab Dorji, has also mentioned that the rise in tourism arriving in Bhutan has had a positive effect and is considered a good trend.
The arriving tourists are more than the anticipated numbers by the Tourism Department, among which the tourism from India has also increased to Bhutan, reported Bhutan Live.
