Published on : Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Also, revenue from tourism has risen by almost seven percent or USD 5.6M (million) compared to 2017.
Out of the total tourism receipt from overseas leisure segment of USD 85.41 million, USD 26.29 million was direct revenue for the government through Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), Visa fees and two percent TDS (tax deducted at source).
Nevertheless, in spite of the growth, TCB explained that the country constantly encounters a problem in terms of seasonality and unbalanced regional spread.
“As a destination with an emphasis on sustainability at the core of its development agenda, it is important that appropriate interventions are put in place to further sustainable growth with emphasis on regional spread and to make Bhutan a year-round tourism destination,” it states.
Around 71,807 were international arrivals out of the total arrivals. A greater part of them entered and exited Bhutan by air as majority of domestic arrivals took the help of land as their mode of transport.
As per the report, international leisure arrivals increased by 1.76 percent to 63,367 as arrivals from the domestic market increased by 10.37 percent.
Around 87.81 percent of the total visitors visited Bhutan for leisure or vacation and majority of the arrivals was recorded between the months of May and October with 14.50 and 13.70 percent of the total arrivals.
For regional arrivals, as India continues to be the prime source of market with 94.83 percent of the total arrivals, America, China, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom and Germany constantly remains the key international source markets.
The report explains that USA arrivals recorded 14.54 percent growth, China 7.12 percent, UK- 10.44 percent, Germany 15.22 percent, Malaysia 6.22 percent, and Australia 21.79 percent increase over 2017 arrivals.
As the most important growth was recorded for Vietnam is 37.81 percent, visitors from Singapore (-5.89 percent), Thailand (-3.98 percent) and Japan (-2.55 percent) dropped in 2018.