By IANS,
Thimphu : The Bhutan government had mandated that all one- and two-star hotels in the country be upgraded to three-star by the end of 2012 but only a handful have complied till now, says a media report.
Based on a proposal by McKinsey & Co, in 2010 it was made mandatory for all one- and two-star hotels to upgrade to three-star by the 2012 end, the Kuensel daily reported Monday.
The objective was to bring in $100,000 dollar-paying and high-end regional tourists. The policy also mandates all tourists be lodged in three-star hotels and above.
“To achieve a three-star status, a hotel has to gain certain minimum basic points, based on the hotel’s standard and services,” an official was quoted as saying.
At present, 54 two-star hotels and 19 one-star hotels have to upgrade to three-star by year-end.
The hotel association of Bhutan has written to the authorities concerned seeking an extension in the time period.