World News | Bhutan Tourism Board certifies more than 200 non-star hotels

thimpu [Bhutan], May 19 (ANI): The Ministry of Tourism of Bhutan has certified more than 200 non-star hotels out of nearly 300 hotels assessed, Bhutan Live reported. The development comes on the heels of recent cabinet approval to allow non-starred hotels to offer services to tourists as long as they meet the minimum standards set by the ministry.

Since Bhutan resumed tourism last September, the ministry has informed that only certified hotels can receive tourists. According to Bhutan Live, the decision was made to secure and enhance the overall tourist experience in Bhutan.

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Bhutan’s Ministry of Tourism has been working hard to evaluate the hotels. However, more than 60 hotels are still awaiting assessment due to staff shortages. According to Bhutan Live, Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism Dorje Deladur said that the evaluation of the remaining hotels will start soon.

“Currently, we have divided up the work, but we are facing a shortage of manpower. However, we will carry out the assessment work as soon as possible,” Dorji Deradul was quoted as saying by Bhutan Live.

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Dorji Dhradhul said the accreditation process is being done to ensure tourists get the high-value experience promised by the tourism policy, not to showcase the stars. He emphasized that, according to The Bhutan Live, the initiative is expected to play a key role in revitalizing Bhutan’s economy.

“This is for economic recovery. The Ministry of Tourism will assess the quality of non-star hotels and ensure that hotels meet minimum standards,” Dorji Dhradhul said.

According to the Ministry of Tourism of Bhutan, hotels need to meet a series of criteria such as hygiene, cleanliness, comfort, safety, amenities and services. After meeting the standard, the hotel will be qualified as a one-star and two-star hotel. According to news reports, there are more than 500 registered non-star hotels in Bhutan.

Meanwhile, Bhutan has welcomed more than 52,000 tourists in the past eight months, according to Bhutan Live. Bhutan’s Ministry of Tourism described the statistics as a positive trend for tourism recovery. According to news reports, among international tourists, a large number of tourists paid the new sustainable development fee (SDF), which exceeded the previous fee.

Of the international tourists, more than 32,500 were Indian tourists paying Nur 1,200 per night. According to Bhutan Live, slightly more than half of the more than 19,000 international tourists visited Bhutan according to the new SDF. However, the tourism bureau said the data did not include business visitors. (Arnie)

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