Travelers are exempted from paying some of the daily travel costs to Bhutan as long as they stay at least five nights.
Last week, Bhutan announced changes to its sustainability fee, which made headlines after it jumped from $65 to $200 a day after the country reopened its borders in September.
A traveler who pays the SDF for the first four days can stay for an additional four days without paying the fee. Announcement on the website of the Ministry of Tourism of Bhutan.
Likewise, travelers who paid for the first seven days can stay an additional seven days without paying for the second week, while travelers who paid for 12 days are exempt from paying for the next 18 days, it said.
This equates to savings of $600 for a one-week visitor and approximately $3,600 for a one-month visitor.
The changes, which will come into effect on June 1, are designed to encourage holidaymakers to stay longer.The Bhutan Immigration Service has created a Sites Where Travelers Can Calculate Potential Savings According to different incentive schemes.
According to the announcement, travelers who have already booked a trip to Bhutan can take advantage of the new incentive by canceling their visa and reapplying for a new one.
Government officials are quick to point out that Bhutan’s SDF has not changed and remains $200 per traveler per night.
New fee incentives – what officials call a “promotion” – according to the tourism department, will remain in place until the end of 2024, after which “the standard SDF will apply again”.
disputed fee
Spending at least $200 a day is no stranger to tourists visiting Bhutan.
Before the pandemic, tourists had to spend at least $200 to $250 a day, often included in tour packages that included hotels, food and transportation, and an SDF of $65 at the time.
Bhutan abolished this payout structure in 2022 and instead provided a $200 SDF to all visitors, with the following exceptions:
- Children aged 6 to 11, pay 50% of the daily SDF, which is USD 100;
- Children 5 and under are exempt from the fee.
Also, Indian nationals pay 1,200 rupees (US$14.50) per night, while day visitors from border towns in Bhutan pay no SDF.
Supporters of Bhutan’s $200-a-day fee say it furthers the country’s goal of attracting “high-value, low-traffic” tourists who can afford the fee, which will go towards upgrading infrastructure, protecting the environment and creating job opportunity Provide fair wages and working conditions.
But others see the increased rates as “aelitists” and will damage the country’s tourism industry, which has already been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
News officials are considering changes to the SDF follows Discussion between Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotai Tsering and Bhutanese tourism and business people According to local media reports, in April this year.
After citizens argued that tourism costs hurt investment in the country and discouraged long holidays, Tshering assured community members that change was afoot, the report said.