The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will finally reopen to tourists from around the world on September 23, for the first time since March 2020. However, visitors will need to pay a hefty daily tourist tax to stay.
Each visitor to the small south Asian country must pay a Sustainable Development Fee of US$200 (R3 350) per night of their stay, according to the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB).
This is an increase of 308% compared with the US$65 (R1 100) fee charged over the last 30 years. The fee is set to offset visitors’ carbon impact on the nation, according to the TCB.
"COVID-19 has allowed us to reset to rethink how the sector can be best structured and operated, while keeping carbon footprints low," explains Tandi Dorji, TCB Chairman.
