Bhutan to consider reducing Sustainable Development Fees for Bangladeshi tourists

Bhutan has assured positively considering the issue of reducing Sustainable Development Fees for Bangladeshi tourists.

Bhutanese Foreign Secretary Pema Choden made the assurance to Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen during the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) yesterday, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Bhutan introduced the SDF in 2004 as part of an overall strategy to promote high-value, low-volume tourism that the international tourists visiting Bhutan are required to pay in addition to the cost of visas, accommodations, and other expenses.

The daily SDF per person was fixed initially at $200, which was reduced last year to $100 for the international tourists. The fee for the Indians, however, is $15.

Both Bangladesh and Bhutan agreed to work together to enhance tourism and foster people to people contact.

At the 3rd FOC between Bangladesh and Bhutan held in Thimphu yesterday, Momen urged Bhutan to take necessary measures to rejoin the BBIN MVA framework to promote prosperity through people to people contact.

Bhutan earlier did not join the Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) considering the environmental concerns.

They discussed all the major issues of mutual interests and agreed to promote cooperation encompassing all sectors, especially trade and commerce, health, investment, connectivity, power and energy, tourism, culture and education and others.

Both the foreign secretaries discussed the means and ways of faster implementations of the decisions taken and MoUs signed during the recent visit of His Majesty the King of Bhutan to Bangladesh.

On her part, Pema Choden stressed on the exploration of the untapped potential in economic, cultural and educational areas and proposed to establish meaningful collaborative relationship.

She mentioned that Bhutan would like to pursue more trade and investment cooperation with Bangladesh.

She also stressed on mutual efforts to conclude the pending agreements/MoUs and exchange of government and private level visits between the two countries.

Both the foreign secretaries discussed regional issues of mutual interest and hoped that both countries would continue to work to reinvigorate the SAARC and BIMSTEC processes.