The Bhutan government is relaxing travel restrictions which it expects will increase arrivals by 160% in 2011 and development is underway to cater for 40,000 additional visitors.
Until recently visitors from the USA, Germany, France, the UK, Japan, Thailand and even from India, Bangladesh and Nepal, could travel only up to Thimpu, the capital city, Paro and Phuntsoling because of restrictions. But now the Royal government is easing travel restrictions for foreigners as it opens up several more places like Tashigung, Bhuamthung and Gelapher in East, Central and South Bhutan to overseas visitors.
In anticipation of a mass influx of tourists from all corners of the globe, the Bhutanese government has not only started building new airports at each of these places, but had also started constructing or developing new ‘star hotels’ to ensure comfortable stay for the tourists reports UNI.
Having spent years isolated from the outside world, Bhutan is gradually opening up and tourism is a key industry for the small Himalayan state. By opening up new sites and developing transport infrastructure, the royal government is expecting 65,000 visitors to visit through 2011, that’s 40,000 more than last year.
Referring to other steps being taken to meet the increased demand from the rising number of tourists, Sonam Wangchuk, Director of Marketing at Bhutan Tourism and Druk Air, said they hoped to accommodate about 65,000 foreign tourists this year, which was about 40,000 more than the last year, when the total number of foreigners visiting Bhutan stood around 25,000.In response, the hotel industry is booming with as many as 140 two, three and five-star hotels and more than 2,000 additional rooms coming up in different parts of the Himalayan state. Meanwhile Druk Air has purchased three Airbus 319 and two ATR aircraft, while it has also added new routes to enhance air connectivity around the kingdom.
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