We had already reported about the new incentive introduced by Bhutan for all travellers visiting the country. According to it, tourists who will be paying daily fees for four days will be allowed to stay for four more days. In the same way, if they pay the ‘sustainable development fee’ for 12 days, they will get to stay for an entire month. But all these perks will be yours only if you pay in dollars.
Bhutan: Pay In Dollars, Say Money, Stay Longer
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In an effort to increase tourism, Bhutan has announced that it will cut the per-night rates for visitors who stay for longer than four days.
This country reopened its borders for tourism in September 2022. It had increased its “Sustainable Development Fee” to USD 200. Earlier, for three decades, it used to charge USD 60 as a “Sustainable Development Fee”.
Regarding the fee, the incentive only applies to travellers who pay in dollars; visitors from adjacent India who pay in rupees are not eligible.
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A Ban On Mountain Climbing
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Authorities believe that the SDF has been specifically created to attract wealthy tourists and deter budget holidaymakers who would damage the ecosystem based on this. With those dollars, the natural scenery will be preserved, and the carbon footprints of tourists will be lessened.
Bhutan also declared a ban on mountain climbing in order to protect the reverence of its summits.
Bhutan hopes to progressively increase the contribution of tourism to its USD 3 billion economy from roughly 5% at the moment, although Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Tourism Council of Bhutan, did not have a deadline.
More than 47,000 tourists have visited Bhutan since January, according to Dhradhul, who also noted that the nation is on course to meet its target of hosting 86,000 tourists by the end of the year. (As per The Times Of India)
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First Published: June 22, 2023 2:43 PM