Tourist numbers register increases

Tourist numbers register increases 

Tourism: About 20,160 regional and international or dollar paying tourists visited the country last month.

This was an increase of 27.98 percent from those who visited the country in October last year.  Tourism council of Bhutan (TCB) recorded 15,752 regional and international tourists last year.

The month is also considered as the time of the year when tour operators, hoteliers, guides, and handicraft shops make more money.  Drukair also deploys additional flights to accommodate the increase in passengers.

The total tourist arrivals until last month was 95,931, records maintained by TCB stated. “About 43,398 were international and 52,533 regional tourists,” an official from TCB said.

This was also an increase of 7.6 percent from same period last year. “Until October last year, 89,139 tourists visited the country,” the official said.

Regional tourists are those from India, Bangladesh, and Maldives.  They do not pay the minimum daily tariff of USD 250 and USD 200 during the peak and lean seasons, and do not require visas.  Most of the regional tourists are from India.

“Looking at the trend so far, we’re positive that we’ll be able to meet our 2013 target,” said a tourism council official.  By the end of the 11th five-year plan, TCB intends to meet the goal of 200,000 tourist, officials said.

The president of association of Bhutanese tour operators, Karma Lotey, said the tourism industry should promote more high-end tourists than sheer numbers. “This will help in the preservation of our culture and tradition and promotion of GNH values,” he said. “As a small nation, we need to tread carefully for the sake of the sustainability of tourism business in the future.”

Source: Kuensel

By Kinga Dema