Indians enjoyed decades of free entry to Bhutan but now your holiday is set to cost more. The Government in Thimpu has decided to levy a daily fee of Rs. 1200 ($17) for tourists from India, Maldives and Bangladesh. The fee will be levied starting July 2020. Children under the age of 5 will not have to pay the levy and those between 6 to 12 years will have to pay Rs. 600.
Known as 'Sustainable Development Fee', it is meant to help the government manage increasing tourist traffic. The Government is seeking to regulate through a new tourism policy. The decision was passed as Tourism Levy and Exemption Bill of Bhutan, 2020. The fee of $17 for Indians is much lower than that charged to other foreign tourists ($65). Foreign tourists are also charged a flat cover charge of $250 (approx Rs.18,000) a day.
Indians tend to travel to the western and more developed region of Bhutan. So as to promote tourism in Bhutan's eastern region, the government has decided to drop the charges for tourists visiting 11 out of 20 total districts in the eastern region from Trongsa to Trashigang.
The authorities have assured that Indian tourists will not face any inconvenience in the course of implementation of the regulation.
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