The number of visitors to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has grown by 15 per cent in the first half of 2007.

The increase in arrivals comes after it was revealed that Bhutan had recorded a 27 per cent increase in visitor numbers from the previous year.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Director of Strategic Intelligence Centre, John Koldowski said that while the volume of visitors is small, we have to understand that the Kingdom of Bhutan is a relative newcomer to international tourism as we know it.

“Bhutan opened its doors to change, modernisation and the world at large in 1961; and to tourism in 1974, when King Jigme Singye Wangchuck was crowned,” said Koldowski.

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is a small sovereign country in the Eastern Himalayas between the Tibetan autonomous region of China, the India states of Assam and the West Bengal to the south.

The Royal Government of Bhutan was responsible for tourism into Bhutan from 1974 before it became corporatized in 1983 and then privatised in 1991. Tourism is now regulated by the Minister of Trade and Industry’s Department of Tourism, with a particular focus on restricting the volume of arrivals with a policy of high value travel.

In 2006, there were 17,342 foreign visitors to the Kingdom which is populated by approximately 640,000 people. The top three countries for arrivals are the USA, the UK and Japan.

Koldowski said that while these origin markets are likely to dominate for some time, they have also seen ten source markets double their volumes.

An example is Thailand who brought over 430 arrivals in the first six months of 2007, signalling an increase of about 112 arrivals in the same period in 2006.

The hike in visitor numbers also follows a visit by the Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck who was crowned the fifth Dragon King of Bhutan after the abdication of his father on December 14. Source: http://www.etravelblackboard.com