After more than two years of coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan on June 30 announced that they would open for tourists from September this year.
The move is now aimed at reviving the economy of Bhutan.
The country has had less than 60,000 infections and only 21 deaths.
Bhutan’s $3 billion economy has shrunk in the past two financial years. This pushed more people into poverty.
Bhutan banned tourism early in the pandemic to combat the spread of the virus in the nation. The country, blessed with scenic natural beauty and ancient Buddhist culture, took drastic measures, stopping a major source of income in March 2020, when the first Covid-19 case was detected.
The Bhutan Tourism Council (TCB) said that tourists will be allowed entry from September 23.
TCB President and Bhutan’s Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji said in a statement, “Covid-19 has allowed us to reset – to rethink how best to best protect the sector while keeping its carbon footprint low. can be structured and operated on.”
TCB has announced new rules for tourists coming from 23rd September. Tourists will be charged a sustainable development fee of $200 per tourist per night, which is more than the $65 charged for three decades.
Officials have also confirmed that this fee will offset the carbon impact of tourists.
Service providers in the tourism sector such as hotels, guides, tour operators and drivers have also been instructed to follow the updated set of instructions.
Tourism employs 50,000 people and contributes an annual average of around 6 billion in the three years before the pandemic in direct foreign exchange.
Bhutan was opened to high-class tourists in 1974. The country received 300 visitors that year. TCB data shows that number rose to 315,600 in 2019, a 15.1% increase from a year earlier.
Tour operators said that visitors would be free to choose their own operators and plan itineraries, whereas earlier they could only choose from packages offered by their operators.