KATHMANDU - Twenty-three tourists landed in Bhutan on Friday, the first to arrive as the Himalayan kingdom reopened its borders after the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to close its borders for more than two years.
In March 2020, it shut its borders to visitors - a major source of income - after detecting its first case of Covid-19. "Tourism for us is more than just revenue," said Mr Dorji Dhradhul, director-general of the Tourism Council of Bhutan , after receiving the first visitors at the country's only international airport at Paro, near the capital city of Thimphu."We feel through tourism we can do that… take advantage of their support and goodwill," he told Reuters from Bhutan, referring to the international community.
In July, Bhutan raised its Sustainable Development Fee to US$200 per visitor per night from the US$65 it had charged for three decades, saying it was keen to welcome more tourists who could spend money.