India News

Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators :

According to Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (Abto), about 82 percent of dollar-paying tourists use Druk Air.

The flight schedules and network strategies Druk Air, the only national airline, follows are affecting the tourism in the country, according to tour operators. Accessibility is one of the main constraints affecting the growth and expansion of tourism.

Tour operators last August raised concerns regarding the flight schedules and network strategies to the cabinet ministers. The government then said it would get back to Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) on the issue by the second half of September.

The general secretary of Abto, Sonam Dorji, earlier said that, although peak season and festival dates are already defined and announced two years in advance, last minute announcement of schedules and insertion of additional flights have been deterrent to promotion and planning. Continuous change of reservation system is affecting working environment of tour operators and their dealings with foreign agents.

He submitted to the government whether the planning of schedules and routes could take tourism into consideration. The government, in a letter to BCCI, said Druk Air is well aware of the consequences of any changes in its schedule necessitated by commercial or operational circumstances. It has always endeavoured to minimise disruptions and any unavoidable changes have always been made in consultation with Abto.

According to the 10th plan document, international tourism travel to Bhutan is almost entirely dependent on air travel. The limited air transport option and adverse weather conditions severely affect tourism.

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