Bhutan is targeting 3 lakh tourists globally. Of this, it is targeting 1.50 lakh (50 per cent) from India for 2024. Bhutanese Prime Minister has also assured government subsidy on airfares, and additional air connectivity to more cities from India. He has also said that the country will ease permit approvals. This is close to 50 per cent of pre-covid levels.
Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Bhutani PM, at the FICCI India-Bhutan Summit on Tourism, “In 2024, the total number of tourists we are targetting is 3 lakh. Of this, we are targetting 50 per cent from India.“
In 2023, of the 3.04 lakh tourists that visited Bhutan, 72,659 were Indians. In 2019, 2.30 lakh were Indians of the 3.15 lakh.
The numbers, are yet to reach pre-covid levels because of the sustainable development fee (SDF) which is $15 per day i.e. ₹1,200 a day, for Indians, whereas other countries are required to pay $100 a day.
Some players said…