Dechen Dolkar

In February and March of this year, Bhutan saw a 50 percent surge in visitor arrivals compared to the same period last year.

In February, the country welcomed 5,767 tourists, while between March 1st and 24th, the number reached 10,782, marking nearly a 50 percent increase from 2023, despite the month not yet concluding. Last year, 2,641 visitors arrived in February and 7,385 in March.

Records from the Department of Immigration indicate that over 2,300 tourists arrived in Bhutan between March 20th and 24th, coinciding with the Paro Tshechu.

In February, approximately 59 percent of the tourists were from India, with the remaining arrivals coming from key source markets such as the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

In March, around 53 percent of tourists were from India, while others originated from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, Singapore, France, Italy, Malaysia, Australia, Russia, Canada, and Japan.

January arrivals also doubled compared to the previous year, with a total of 4,414 guests arriving in Bhutan. In January of the previous year, the number stood at 2,670.

The Department of Immigration has confirmed that the provided data includes only guests entering Bhutan as tourists and excludes those falling into any other category.

Currently, the Sustainable Development Fee stands at USD 100 per person per night, a promotional rate valid until August 2027.