Bhutan welcomes back tourists after COVID-19 with honey, turmeric and SIM cards

KATHMANDU, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Twenty-three international guests landed in Bhutan on Friday, the primary to reach because the Himalayan kingdom reopened its borders after greater than two years following the COVID-19 pandemic, with officers trying to tourism to assist revive the native economic system.

Wedged between China and India, the nation recognized for its pure magnificence and historical Buddhist tradition, first opened to rich vacationers in 1974. In March 2020 it shut its borders to guests – a serious supply of revenue – after detecting its first case of COVID-19.

The constitutional monarchy of fewer than 800,000 individuals has reported simply over 61,000 infections and solely 21 deaths, however the $3 billion economic system contracted within the final two fiscal years, pushing extra individuals into poverty.

“Tourism for us is extra than simply income,” mentioned Dorji Dhradhul, Director Basic of the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB), after receiving the primary guests on the nation’s solely worldwide airport at Paro, close to the capital metropolis of Thimphu.

He mentioned the tiny nation was eager to be “very a lot part of the entire world”.

“We really feel by way of tourism we will do this … reap the benefits of their assist and goodwill,” he informed Reuters from Bhutan, referring to the worldwide neighborhood.

Every customer who arrived aboard the primary flight from Kathmandu in neighbouring Nepal was supplied small packs of natural honey, tea, Bhutanese turmeric and a neighborhood SIM card all in a tote bag as a present, the authorities mentioned.

In July, Bhutan raised its Sustainable Growth Charge to $200 per customer per night time from the $65 it had charged for 3 a long time saying it was eager to welcome extra vacationers who may spend cash.

Officers mentioned the charges could be spent on tasks like planting bushes, upskilling tourism employees, sustaining mountain climbing trails, lowering reliance on fossil fuels and electrifying transportation autos to offset vacationers’ carbon footprints.

About 315,600 vacationers visited in 2019, up 15.1% from the 12 months earlier than, with guests contributing about $84 million on common annually to the economic system for the three years earlier than the pandemic hit, TCB knowledge confirmed.

Reporting by Gopal Sharma

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