Image Courtesy: Tourism Department

Bhutan gets 145,065 tourists in 2024

Indian tourists dominate Bhutan’s tourism market in 2024

India continues to assert its dominance in the tourism market, contributing an overwhelming 94,280 visitors in 2024.

This accounts for 65% of the total tourist arrivals in Bhutan.

Bhutan recorded a total of 145,065 tourist arrivals in 2024, marking a 40.7% increase compared to the 103,066 visitors in 2023 but still slightly short of the 150,000 tourists’ target.

While India led by a wide margin, other significant contributors to Bhutan’s tourism industry included the USA, China, Singapore, the UK, Germany, Malaysia, and Australia. Taiwan and Canada rounded out the top 10 source markets.

The Executive Director of the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators, Kinley Gyeltshen, attributes the high number of Indian tourists to several factors, including the proximity between the two nations, ease of travel, and their unique historical and cultural ties.

“Bhutan and India share a different relation that is known by the rest of the world, and the sheer proximity of India to Bhutan is also a major factor contributing to the prominent number of Indian tourists visiting Bhutan,” he explained.

Indian tourists visiting Bhutan enjoy certain travel benefits that distinguish them from other international visitors.

For instance, Indians are required to pay Nu 1200 as Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) fee whereas non-Indian tourists are mandated to pay USD 100 making it a more affordable destination for Indian tourists.

Tourism operators and hoteliers have observed distinct preferences among Indian tourists compared to international visitors.

Tshering, the owner of Ha Heritage Resort, noted the stark differences in expectations and spending habits.

“I cater mostly to international tourists visiting from the USA, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia, but the Indian tourists that visit here mainly come for rest. Most Indian tourists mainly prefer to stay at budget hotels,” she said.

“We started our resort in 2023 after the pandemic, and so far, the resort has seen more number of customers in 2024 than the previous year.”

“We send the rates to the tourism agencies, and they route their guests to us,” Tshering added.

A tour operator in Thimphu said, “We received a total of 127 Indian tourists in 2023 and 217 in 2024. The tourism industry is slowly recovering, but at the same time, I think it is important that the government realizes where we are still lacking, and comes up with something for the long term and not just with incentives and subsidies for short durations.”

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