Bhutan to start discounting $200 a night sustainability fee after 'feedback'

The tiny state hiked the SDF in September from $65 per person per night as the country reopened to visitors for the first time in two and a half years.

The new tariff sees the basic $200 a day retained, but visitors for four nights will be able to stay another four without charge. Similar concessions apply to seven night stays, while those paying for 12 nights can stay up to 30 nights without further fees. A sliding scale is used for other durations, with discounts offered for travel until 31 December 2024. The 24-hour waiver for entry to border towns remains in place.

The country’s prime minister Lotay Tshering hinted at a partial climbdown in a statement. He said: “These SDF incentives are designed to encourage longer stays in the country. In forming these options, we have listened to the feedback of the industry.”

He said views had been taken into account, “while also balancing the original vision behind the revisions to our tourism strategy in the first place, to ensure that we focus on high value, low volume tourism”.

Amrit Singh, managing director of TransIndus, said the decision was “a very good idea”.

“It was too much of a hike,” she said. “It was an enormous jump that eliminated large swathes of possible clients. They did it for the right reasons, but it was too much of a climb.”

Singh added the announcement late last week meant it was too early to have influenced bookings.

Bhutan is predicting just under 100,000 visitors this year.

Dorji Dhradhul, Bhutan’s Department of Tourism director general, said: “We hope that with these incentives, together with the recent reduction in the monument fees and the 24-hour SDF waiver for border towns, Bhutan will be a more accessible destination for a wider range of guests.”