Bhutan is reopening to tourists on Friday with a big hike in its tourist tax.
Travelers to Bhutan were required to pay a minimum daily package rate of $200-$250 before the country closed its borders due to the Covid-19 epidemic. The mandatory $65 sustainable development fee was included in the rate.
Bhutan raised the sustainable development fee from $65 to $200 per person per day in order to eliminate the minimum daily package rate.
The fee doesn't cover travel costs like hotels and food.
There is a fee discount for families in the country, according to the CEO of the company.
50% of it is free for children between the ages of 6 and 12.
The new policy is in line with Bhutan's goal of attracting high value, low volume tourism.
Visitors must make an active contribution to Bhutan's economic, social and cultural development in order to experience the country, which is famous for providing travelers a rare glimpse of authenticity in a world filled with tourist traps.
The fees will be used to upgrade infrastructure, train workers in the travel industry, protect the environment, and create jobs that provide fair wages and working conditions.
Bhutan markets itself as the only carbon-negative country in the world.Sam Blyth is the founder of the Trans Bhutan Trail and chair of The Bhutan Canada Foundation.
The money collected by the government will be used to support health and education for all Bhutanese.
The Tourism Council says travelers will benefit from the increased fees. The standards for hotels and tour operators will be revised. Travelers will be able to plan and book their own trips.
The minimum daily package rate had its limitations according to the tourism council. Tourists had to choose from a variety of tours offered by tour operators. Tourists will be able to engage their desired service providers directly by doing away with it.
Travelers who plan to go beyond the cities of Thimphu and Paro are still required to have a tour guide.
Sarah-Leigh Shenton is the marketing director at the travel agency Red Savannah. Our clients don't have to make payments locally because all administration is done by our team.
Critics argue that Bhutan's increased tourist tax is an attempt to close the door to budget travelers who want to visit Bhutan.
The new policy will affect travel agencies that cater to budget friendly travelers.
The new rules will deter travelers from visiting at a time when the country's tourism industry is reeling from a 2.5 year border closing.
The Tourism Council of Bhutan believes the time was right to reset the sector. It said that the gradual return of tourists will allow for the upgrade of infrastructure and services.
Sam Blyth said he has hiked extensively through Bhutan for the past 30 years. He is the founder of the Trans Bhutan Trail, a not-for-profit company that helped revitalize a 250-mile ancient trail that traverses the center of the country.Wendy Min is the head of government affairs for Australia and New Zealand at Trip.com.
She said that it would not be ideal for a small country to open completely. Everyone is different and on the hunt for their own experience and memories, which is why people are turned off by the price tag.
She referred to Venice as the new normal due to the fact that day-trippers will need to pay between 3 and 10 euro to enter.
According to a report published by Bhutan in 2019: Indian tourists will not be affected by the increased fees.
That could change as well. The Tourism Council of Bhutan stated that the fee will be revised at a later time.
The new fee will not have a negative effect on interest in Bhutan once travelers understand it.
Travelers in Bhutan will no longer have to book through tour operators and travel agents and will be able to book directly with providers such as hotels, restaurants, guides and transportation companies. Even with the new tourism fee, the cost of these services is still reasonable.
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