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Luzi Matzig in TravelAsia
TravelAsia, July 7, 2000
Two Asian tour operators who have started to feature Bhutan get a pleasant surprise.
By Audrina Gan Bookings to Bhutan, a new destination for Singaporeans, pioneered by Ken Air, have been tremendous, says Kevin Bong, product manager of Ken Air Tours. In fact, Ken Air’s first tour to Bhutan in October is 95 per cent booked with only two vacancies left out of 20. The tour was launched during this year’s NATAS fair in Singapore. Besides Ken Air’s marketing efforts through brochures and catalogues, the surge in interest to Bhutan can also be partly attributed to local television programmes promoting such exotic destinations. Said Bong, "This is an extremely positive indicator considering the fact that we introduced this 12-day package, priced at S$3,838 only about four months ago. He added, "Travelling to Bhutan is never cheap. A round fare from Kathmandu to Bhutan costs about US$400. In addition, the cost of living is almost comparable to Japan because of its remoteness and under-developed infrastructure." Despite the high costs, standards of living are certainly not luxurious, he said. Moreover, the Bhutan government has a cap of 7,000 tourists per year and also only allows group tours to the country. FIT tours are strictly not permitted. Air access to the country is also restricted mainly to Druk Air, Bhutan’s national carrier, which flies to Paro (capital of Bhutan) from Kathmandu, Bangkok and Delhi.
Contacts: Kevin Bong, Tel: 65 3329492; Fax: 65 337 9221, email: bkh @kenair.com.sg; www.kenair.com.sg
Also hot on the Bhutan trail is Luzi Matzig’s Asian Trails. Two tour programmes have been jointly developed with Bhutan-based Drukyul Tours & Trek. Some 500 customers are expected for the first year from the US, Germany, France and Switzerland. Matzig, group managing director of Asian Trails, said although the minimum expenditure is quite high, Bhutan’s exoticness, exclusiveness and originality are a high draw for tourists. "There are not so many foreigners, but most things run very well and are not primitive," he said. The two new programmes launched this month are a 10-day/nine-night Bhutan Trekking Tour and a seven-day/six-night Trails of Bhutan Tour. The two recommended seasons for the trekking tour are March to May and September to mid-November. The trekking tour is priced at US$1,620 to US$1,980 per person while the seven-day Trails of Bhutan tour is priced at US$1,080 to US$1,320 per person. Highlights include a viewing of the Mt Jomolhari peak and the ruin of Drukgyel Dzong. Both packages include accommodation, meals, tours, transfers and an English-speaking guide. Air tickets to and from Paro, airport taxes and visa fees are excluded.
Contacts: Luzi Matzig, Tel: 662 658 6080-9; Fax: 662 658 6099; email: [email protected]
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