Bhutan Expands 24-Hour SDF Waiver Access in Phuentsholing

From September, regional tourists using Bhutan’s 24-hour SDF waiver can visit Milarepa Lhakhang and Pachu Community Ecotourism Site as part of efforts to strengthen tourism in Phuentsholing.

Regional tourists using Bhutan’s 24-hour Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) waiver will soon be able to travel beyond Rinchending and visit two additional sites near Phuentsholing.

From September, visitors using the waiver will be permitted to travel to Milarepa Lhakhang and the Pachu Community Ecotourism Site during the Harvest Festival. The initiative is part of efforts to encourage visitors to spend more time in Phuentshogling and support businesses in the border town.

Opening up two new destinations

At present, tourists entering under the 24-hour SDF waiver cannot travel beyond the Rinchending checkpost.

Under the new arrangement, the permitted travel area will extend to Milarepa Lhakhang, around 15 kilometres from Rinchending, and the Pachu Community Ecotourism Site, about an hour’s journey from Phuentshogling.

Visitors travelling to the two sites will have to join an approved tourism package and be accompanied by a licensed guide.

The arrangement gives short-stay visitors an opportunity to experience more of the area while maintaining a regulated system for their movement.

Preparing Phuentshogling’s tourism sector

Around 60 tour guides, tour operators, hoteliers and officials attended a sensitisation programme in Phuentshogling on August 8 to learn about the new arrangement.

Tourism businesses see the expansion as an opportunity to develop new packages and encourage visitors to explore the town and its surrounding areas.

Supporting the local economy

Phuentsholing is one of Bhutan’s main gateways for visitors arriving overland. The expansion of the waiver is intended to give regional tourists more opportunities to explore beyond the town while creating additional business for guides, tour operators, hotels and other local service providers.

Studies by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment show that the 24-hour waiver has improved hotel occupancy and encouraged visitors to stay longer in Phuentshogling.

“Phuentsholing is one of the main entry points of our country. As of today, tourists under the 24-hour SDF waiver cannot travel beyond Rinchending checkpost, so now with extension till Milarepa Lhakhang, it will help promote our culture and traditions, boost business and local economy,” said Tashi Dendup, the executive director of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan.

Managing visitor movement

The expanded arrangement will be implemented through standard operating procedures covering visitor registration, guiding, movement and monitoring.

Requiring visitors to travel through approved packages and with licensed guides will provide a structured framework for visits to the newly accessible areas.

For Phuentshogling, the change is another step towards encouraging regional tourists to spend more time in the border town and explore nearby attractions, rather than using it primarily as a transit point.