Bhutan Ready To Welcome Back Tourism
Bhutan has proven to be a real success story with the lowest reported cases of Coronavirus in the Indian sub-continent. The country reported its first case on March 6 when a 76-year-old American tourist tested positive for the virus and was immediately quarantined. 73 direct contacts were also traced and quickly moved into quarantine areas.
The Kingdom of 750,000, shares vulnerable borders with India and China and has been a popular tourist destination for both Indian and Chinese travelers who are desperate to escape their overcrowded countries. When the Bhutanese people helped out by donating crops and food to those in need, and hotels offered up their properties as quarantine facilities, the true Bhutanese spirit shined through and it worked.
I first fell in love with Bhutan when I visited a few years ago. I was fortunate to have met its young King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema. A lot has changed since then; the Royal family is now celebrating a new baby born during the pandemic; Queen Jetsun Pema gave birth to a young Prince on March 19 in Lingkana Palace in Thimphu. This is their second child, the first; also a boy and Bhutan’s Crown Prince was born 4 years earlier.
When the Covid-19 pandemic completely shut down the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan, it created a devastating blow to a region dependent on visitors. In the wake of such loss, the Tourism Council of Bhutan is using this opportunity to make tourism more efficient by making entry procedures easier.
According to Tourism Director General Dorji Dhradhul, this is one of the major complaints from tourists. The tourist has to book through a local operator and pay in advance, which proves frustrating in making plans. In the future, it will be made easier by adding online booking options and credit cards rather than complex wire transfers as were often used in the past.
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