The Bhutanese Leading the way.
More than 100 hotels have applied for the four percent interest subsidy for hotel loans under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) since applications opened on May 1, according to the Department of Tourism.
The subsidy scheme was introduced to support the tourism and hospitality sector, particularly smaller hotels recovering from economic challenges.
DoTr said the approval process is currently ongoing and applications will continue to be accepted until the end of May.
The Department of Tourism (DoT) is responsible for the first stage of verification. The department will assess whether hotels meet the required eligibility criteria, including the validity of business licenses, star-rating certification, and registration and use of the Tourist Registration System (TRS).
Hotels that fulfill the requirements will receive a verification letter from the department, which must then be submitted to banks along with other application documents required by the respective financial institutions.
Banks will carry out the final assessment of applications.
According to the department, hotels eligible for the subsidy must fall under the four-star and below category based on the Department of Tourism’s classification system and must also be registered in the TRS.
Additional eligibility requirements are determined by the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) and the participating financial institutions.
Officials stated that applications to the Department of Tourism must be submitted by May 31, 2026, while banks will continue accepting applications until July 31, 2026.
The four percent interest subsidy is expected to ease financial pressure on hotel operators and support the recovery of Bhutan’s tourism industry.
