Uniform daily package rate for all the visitors
Every tourist visiting Bhutan will be required to pay a uniform daily package rate within the next five years, regardless of nationality. The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) plans to fast track this measure to achieve the High Value Low Volume policy. As per the policy statement, the government will be working towards a single tourism system by 2030.
While the international tourists pay a minimum daily package rate ranging from 200 to 250 US dollars, regional tourists are exempted from paying this rate. They pay a sustainable development fee of Nu 1,200 daily. As a result, more regional tourists visited Bhutan in the past years. According to the TCB, of the 315,000 visitors in 2019, regional tourists constituted close to 78 per cent. Regional tourists are those from Bangladesh, India and the Maldives. Visitors from the rest of the world are international tourists.
Through the Tourism Policy, the TCB plans to diversify tourism products beyond culture and trekking tours and make Bhutan a year-round travel destination. Currently, tourism in Bhutan is seasonal. Tourist visits peak during the months of April, May and October and drops to around four per cent of the total arrivals during February and July.
