Bhutan: The country reopened its borders today after blocking access to foreign visitors for two and a half years due to the Covid pandemic. The Sustainable Development Fee, a revamped tourism levy, was introduced along with the reopening.
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Bhutan increased its Sustainable Development Fee from the $65, it had been charging international visitors for the last three decades, to $200 per visitor per night. Indians were not charged anything before the start of the pandemic, but according to the guidelines, they must now pay a fee of Rs. 1200.
Has been closed since the Covid Pandemic
Bhutan closed its borders to travellers in March 2020 after discovering its first COVID-19 instance, which was a significant source of cash. The Himalayan Kingdom, which has a population of fewer than 800,000, has reported little over 61,000 infections and 21 fatalities, but its economy has struggled in recent years, leading to an increase in poverty.
“The Government of Bhutan has re-strategized its ‘High Value, Low Volume’ tourism policy to ensure the sustainable use of tourism resources and to create an enabling environment for a vibrant, non-discriminatory, inclusive, and high-value tourism industry in Bhutan,” said Jigme Thinley Namgyal, Bhutan’s Consul General.
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Bhutan, famous for calculating gross national happiness and tucked between India and China, seeks to attract more tourists willing to spend more money.
“Tourism is a national asset and we are also trying to remain carbon neutral – that has its own cost. We are developing our infrastructure to make our tourism sustainable. This is the chief reason why we are taking this levy,” the Consul General added.
Online Registration now mandatory:
It is now necessary to register online before a visit. If the original documents are produced for scrutiny, the only acceptable forms of identification as proof of Indian citizenship are passports and voter identity cards.
Driving licences and Aadhaar cards were formerly accepted, but the restrictions have since altered Additionally, officials stated, Indians under the age of 18 will need to present an original birth certificate as identification.
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