Shawdesh Desk:

Acting Bhutanese Ambassador in Dhaka Sherab Dorji has invited Bangladeshi tourists to enjoy the best of the experiences and bring back full of beautiful memories after visiting Bhutan.

“We very much value and welcome tourists from Bangladesh and other countries. We are confident that every visitor will enjoy the best of the experiences and bring back full of beautiful memories after visiting Bhutan,” he said.

Announcing on Friday night that Bhutan is formally reopened for tourists to visit, the diplomat said with its raised Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) Bhutan believes that it will put them in good stead to mitigate climate change and maintain carbon-neutral tourism which will not only benefit Bhutan, but also the world as a whole.

“As the Covid-19 situation around the world improved and with high coverage of vaccination in the country, the Royal government of Bhutan now feels confident,” he said.

Explaining why the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) is being raised from US$ 65 to US$ 200, the diplomat said Bhutan introduced SDF of US$ 65 in 1991 and an increase in SDF was due a long time back.

Secondly, he said, Bhutan is a carbon neutral country and the country also sequesters 9.4 million tons of carbon against its emission capacity of 3.8 million tons.

“With climate change, it is imperative that Bhutan continues to conserve its environment,” said Sherab, also the Head of Chancery of the Royal Bhutanese Embassy.

Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Md. Mokammel Hossain spoke as the chief guest while BIMSTEC Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell attended as special guest at the event held in a city hotel marking reopening of tourism of the Kingdom of Bhutan. President of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh Shiblul Azam Koreshi was also present.

The Bhutanese envoy said Bhutan will endeavour to provide authentic experiences supported by world class services and personal care to the tourists.

He said tourism has been and will continue to be an important economic sector for Bhutan. “However, the renewed vision for the tourism sector consciously and deliberately places considerations for Bhutan’s future and its future generation at the forefront.”