Bhutan doubles its daily tourist tax to $322

The pursuit of happiness won't come cheap to those planning a visit to Bhutan. Photo / Unsplash

Bhutan revealed plans to reopen to international tourists for the first time since March 23, 2020 but visitors will be hit with a daily fee that has increased by 207 per cent.

Like New Zealand, the small Himalayan kingdom went hard and early when it came to Covid-19 restrictions and shut borders March 23, 2020.

As a result, they reported fewer than 60,000 infections and only 21 deaths but since tourism had been a major source of income, their US$3 billion economy shrank dramatically and pushed people into poverty.

Now, they plan to revive their economy by welcoming tourists back.

On June 30, The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) announced international tourists could enter from September 23.

Although, things won't be the same as pre-pandemic. Namely, the Sustainable Developmment Fee of US$65 has increased by 207 per cent to US$200.

The fee would help offset tourists' carbon impact, said officials.

"COVID-19 has allowed us to reset -- to rethink how the sector can be best structured and operated... while keeping carbon footprints low," said TCB chairman and Bhutan's foreign minister, Tandi Dorji, in a statement.

Tourists aren't the only ones who have been hit with new requirements. Authorities said Bhutan had also revised standards for service providers like tourism operators, guides, hotels and drivers.

Before the pandemic, tourism employed 50,000 people and contributed approximately US$84 million to the economy each year.

The new fee change reflects Bhutan's long-held attitude towards tourism, summed up well by Sangay Phuntso, who runs a travel company in Thimphu:.

The History of Tourism

In 1974, Bhutan opened to 'high-end' tourists and received just 300 visitors. By 2019 this number had skyrocketed to 315,600 and was 15.1 per cent higher than 2018 according to TCB data.

In previous years, visitors could only choose pre-organised packages from tour operators. However, in recent pre-pandemic years, visitors had far more flexibility when it came to choosing operators and planning itineraries.