Travelling to Bhutan from India is not free anymore. The land which has always been one of the most sought-after destinations of Indians with its alluring beauty and stunning landscapes now charges a fee on Indian tourists.
Recently, Bhutan’s Lower House had passed the legislation titled “The Tourism Levy and Exemption Bill of Bhutan 2020” which states that tourists from India are to pay a “sustainable development fee” of Rs.1,200 from July 2020.
This tourism fee, which was not levied from Indian tourists, has been introduced for the tourism development and improvement of infrastructure in Bhutan. As a part of this legislation, Bangladesh and Maldives who could travel free to Bhutan, are also charged a nominal tourism fee. The new development is believed to help Bhutan regulate the heavy tourist traffic to the country.
When adults are to pay Rs.1,200 to visit the country, children who belong to the age group between 6 and 12 years are levied a fee of Rs.600. Earlier, the Indian tourists could visit Bhutan by road or air on submission of two documents at the entry points – Indian passport with a minimum 6 months validity and/or voter ID issued by the Election Commission of India.
