What's Included In The Bhutan Tourism Fee?
International Tourists
Bhutan charges every foreign visitor USD 250 per day. It charges only USD 200 a day per person from December to February and June to August. This fee covers all necessary expenses within Bhutan. It includes USD 65 for Sustainable Development Fees (SDF), accommodation and food, driver and transportation, entry fees, and a licensed Bhutanese guide from an official Bhutanese tour operator.
But they have to pay an additional USD 40 for Visa charges. All tourists must pay a USD 40/30 surcharge per person for those in a group of one/two. It exempts this surcharge from a group having over two people. It exempts the royalty component of USD 65 a day for children below 12-years and offers a 50 percent discount for students below the age of 25-years.
Tours are prepaid but hot-stone baths, cultural shows, horse riding, rafting, mountain bikes, tips, drinks, laundry, souvenirs are chargeable services. Homestay services and camping can be requested if tourists are interested. ATMs for money withdrawal are available in most towns. In some well-tourists visited areas, some hotels and souvenir shops accept credit cards.
Bhutan tourists’ fee is being used for several development activities in the country. It goes to the tour agency, guides, drivers, hotels and a USD 65 a day per person goes to the government’s “sustainable development fee”. About 30 percent of this fee goes towards funding education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, along with the building of infrastructure to accommodate growing tourism. It has benefited rural communities in terms of enhanced living standards.
Regional Tourists
The regional tourists from India, Maldives, and Bangladesh are excluded from paying these charges for many years. But with introducing the Tourism Levy and Exemption Bill of Bhutan 2020, the tourists from the region visiting Bhutan have to pay an SDF of Nu 1,200 per night per person. The regional tourists don’t have to pay for the additional fees that they had been paying for monuments and sites all over Bhutan. The Bill is expected to be implemented from July 2020.
The children below five years will be exempted from SDF, while it will levy those between six to 12 years 50 percent. This helps the regional tourists have a good experience and also a positive impact on the locals. However, SDF is waived for several eastern and southern districts to improve tourism growth in dzongkhags that do not receive many tourists. The exemption of levy will expire on 31 December 2024. It depends on the next government to decide on whether it will continue the exemption.
The idea is to have SDF and to align it with one policy that is High Value and Low Volume. The tourists can travel anywhere in Bhutan with a guide if they get permits. SDF goes directly to the government which contributes towards the government’s initiatives regarding the social welfare of Bhutanese citizens, among others.
