Bhutan welcomes back tourists after Covid-19 with honey, turmeric and SIM cards

Twenty-three tourists landed in Bhutan on Sept 23 after the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to close its borders for more than two years. - SCREENGRAB FROM TOURISMBHUTAN/ INSTAGRAM

KATHMANDU (Reuters): Twenty-three foreign visitors landed in Bhutan on Friday (Sept 23), the first to arrive as the Himalayan kingdom reopened its borders after more than two years following the Covid-19 pandemic, with officials looking to tourism to help revive the local economy.

Wedged between China and India, the country known for its natural beauty and ancient Buddhist culture, first opened to wealthy tourists in 1974. In March 2020 it shut its borders to visitors - a major source of income - after detecting its first case of Covid-19.