No possibility of 100,000 visitors by 2013

It’s now certain that Thinley led current government will fail to materialised its promise to invite 100,000 tourists by 2013 as part its campaign to improve tourism industry. Today, around 25,000 tourists visit Bhutan every year.

Many tour operators had demanded to reduce the tariff for tourists visiting Bhutan which is set at USD250 per day while other opposed the idea speculating that more tourists would pollute Bhutanese culture. This is an increase of 25% to the current rate. Tourism Council said new tariff rule will come into force from early next year.

In a consultation with Association of Tour operators (ABTO), Hotel Association of Bhutan, Guides Association of Bhutan, Handicraft Association and Prime Minister Thinley last year had concluded to revise the current tariff rate. And the revision here means increasing tariff.

Interestingly, the revised tariff will be put in effort for peak six months – March, April, May, September, October and November – while current tariff remain in effect for other period. The government is likely to take a revision of the tariff plan in early 2013, which is the best season to manipulate with politics when the country is scheduled to face second parliamentary elections.

Of the 250 charged, the government gets only 65 as tax while overseas agents get 10 percent commission.

Last year, McKinsey, an international consultancy firm, had projected an annual arrival of tourists in the next three to five years to 100,000. The firm advised the government to liberalize the tariff rate in order to meet the projected number of tourists.

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