The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Bhutan recorded a strong rise in tourist arrivals during the first seven months of 2026, with May registering the highest monthly arrivals and regional markets continuing to drive the country’s tourism recovery.
According to the Monthly Tourism Bulletin, tourist arrivals reached 47,343 in May 2026, the highest monthly figure recorded so far this year. Arrivals increased steadily from 10,627 in January to 26,092 in March and 30,345 in April before peaking in May. The number declined to 25,195 in June and further dropped to 9,762 in July.
The statistics show that 2026 outperformed the corresponding months of 2025 during the first half of the year. In 2025, arrivals stood at 4,951 in January, 5,761 in February, 17,742 in March, 28,674 in April, 29,879 in May, 13,671 in June and 4,851 in July. Data for the remaining months of 2025 shows arrivals rising again after July, reaching 10,010 in August, 20,251 in September, 28,037 in October, 24,412 in November and 21,137 in December.
Phuentsholing remained Bhutan’s busiest port of entry in July, receiving 4,295 visitors. Paro followed with 3,364 arrivals, while Samtse recorded 1,442 visitors. Gelephu received 332 arrivals during the month, while Samdrup Jongkhar recorded 329 visitors. The July market breakdown shows that Indian visitors continued to account for the largest share of tourist arrivals, with 7,151 visitors.
Bhutan’s tourism industry continued to expand in July with the registration of 24 new tour operators, bringing the total number of licensed tour operators in the country to 1,721. According to the Monthly Tourism Bulletin, June recorded the highest number of new registrations this year with 35 tour operators. April followed with 31 new registrations. A total of 24 new tour operators were registered in July, compared with 21 in May, 22 in March, 16 in January and nine in February.
The steady registration of new tour operators reflects continued business interest in Bhutan’s tourism sector despite seasonal fluctuations in visitor arrivals. The bulletin also shows that Phuentsholing remained the country’s busiest port of entry in July, recording 4,295 tourist arrivals. Paro was the second busiest entry point with 3,364 arrivals, followed by Samtse with 1,442 visitors. Gelephu recorded 332 tourist arrivals during the month, while Samdrup Jongkhar received 329 visitors.
Bangladesh was the second largest source market with 504 visitors, followed by China with 348, the United States with 274 and Japan with 240. Other major source markets included Nepal with 114 visitors, the Republic of China (Taiwan) with 106, the United Kingdom with 103, Australia with 99 and Singapore with 89 visitors. The figures indicate that India continues to play a major role while international arrivals from long-haul markets are also contributing to visitor numbers.
