Why Bhutan’s Insanely High Tourist Fee Is A Good Thing

I have been to both countries and concur that it is a good thing to spend time there. We get a close up view (albeit restricted), we live first hand some of the unintended consequences of dictatorships (extreme low crime), and in the case of the DPRK some fenomenal artistic talent (even if achieved by force), and we do get to plant some little seeds in the hearts of those we (rightfully, I think) view as terribly oppressed. I was born and raised in a dictatorship and I remember how nice it was to see people from other countries, their smiles, their seemingly carefree lives. So, go.

Unlike Jon, I believe more people should visit the Bhutans and North Koreas of this world. The amount of money generated by tourism is negligible but it is truly the only way that the local people get a bit of a view of the outside world. I know one of my guide's in North Korea was very impressed when my viewpoints did not always match those of the majority Americans. She actually learned that we are indeed all not the same in our own countries. At least it's a start.

WORD OF CAUTION:
I visited and trekked in Bhutan in 2015. I was helping look for a local partner to offer a cultural/trekking package to clients who had already trekked in Nepal. I agree with much of what Lucky writes - beautiful country, friendly people, uncrowded, unique, and the fee is a steal for the services you receive (The two of us were outfitted with a driver, 2 guides, 3 porters, and 7 mules!). HOWEVER, there are many aspects of the tourist experience that would make me think twice before returning.
1) You are forced to check your religion at the door. Are you a Christian? It's against the law to speak about it.
2) The tour companies can be very frustrating. They have their list of approved tourist destinations and it is a battle to get them to deviate from the list. It sounds like Lucky had a tour guide who would go with the flow, but they can be very rigid. The rigidness is for good reason - if a tourist is seriously injured in Bhutan, the guide can go to jail for life.
3) Much of what the guides tell you is government propaganda, half-truths, or just inaccurate. In fact, the guides are less about serving the tourists than serving the government - controlling the message and supervising foreigners. For example they will say that it is illegal to drink alcohol or smoke in public. What they really mean is it illegal to do so in front of tourists. I was able to visit a karaoke bar on night where I saw a drunken fight between smokers outside the bar. They will tell you that a temple was built in the 8th century, when in fact it was built 17 years ago. One of my guides even told me that they lie to tourists if the tourist wants to do something inconvenient. "We tell them the mountain pass is impassable due to snow." (This may have happened to Lucky.) The guides constantly recite the line about Gross National Happiness over Gross Domestic Product. When you dig deeper, you learn that their desire for material goods is every bit as strong as the West's. Whether it was a tin roof to replace the traditional thatch, or a new television, the Bhutanese are excited about wealth. Another common line from the guides is their magnanimous King gave them democracy. When you dig deeper, you learn that the "democracy" does whatever the king tells it to do, and the king is revered as something of a deity. Yet another propaganda line the guides will tell you is about living in harmony with their environment. During my trek, I saw virgin forests being cut to build roads into the mountains. There were no environmental control devices. The bulldozers simply pushed the dirt and rock over the hill into the freshwater streams below, out of sight of most tourists. These roads were being built by poor Indian laborers, whom the Bhutanese scorned, and who lived in squalid conditions.
4) Just like the claims about their country are often specious, the buildings are sometimes just for show. I finished my trek early, but the tour company said I had to camp another night because there were no available hotel rooms. I called BS (every hotel I visited was empty) and insisted they find a hotel room. Sure enough, I was put in a beautiful big hotel where I was the only guest. (The tour company would have made more money if I camped.) The hardwood floor broke when I stepped on it. The showers were only equipped for 5 minutes of hot water. By this point in my visit, this sort of thing did not surprise me. Much of what you see as a tourist is "for show" with little substance to back it up.

In sum, many aspects of Bhutan are like North Korea. The people are isolated from the outside world. Their beliefs and culture are shaped by royal propaganda. Tourists have very little opportunity to dig deeper into the "real" Bhutan without the supervision of a guide. It can feel like visiting the twilight zone.

TL;DR
I don't regret visiting and I would encourage anyone to visit once, but I would just encourage tourists to not come under the spell of the Shangri-la on the surface, which leads to ignoring the "real" Bhutan.

I went last year to Bhutan and really enjoyed it, but i would suggest not going when it's winter unless you will stay in the Le Meridien or other hotels of that level the hotels that were included we just not adequately heated for sleeping at night, literally piling the duvet's and leaving the heaters on to no avail to make it warm, but once we switched to the le meridien it was fine - keep in mind you follow their schedule and their restaurants and we had our guide take him to a place regular bhutanese would eat - definitely a different experience. i still recommend it!

I appreciate your concern for the Bhutanese people and agree with it, but your title and the way you approach this post is off-putting and condescending. Since the fee is secondary to the greater good it's meant to protect, why not focus on that instead?

As it stands, you sound like a condescending trust-fund kind: "Bhutan's Insanely High Tourist Fee Is a Good Thing [because, among other reasons, I'm loaded and it's a tax write-off anyway]." This is ironic, of course, being that you are a self-proclaimed self-made man. You don't come from money, but now that you have it you suddenly feel superior to everyone else in the world—classic "New Money" syndrome.

Regardless, I'm sure your trip to Bhutan has made you feel like royalty, which is clearly what you crave when you travel.

Bhutan is smart. Make it expensive and hard to get into, and all of a sudden you've got an attractive travel destination that you can squeeze a lot of money out of... no need for pricy mass tourism infrastructure.

Let's face it, you could get a similar experience in Nepal, just as you can enjoy beautiful overwater bungalows on this side of the world in Jamaica. But people will clamour for Bhutan and Maldives because it's perceived as more exclusive and therefore comes with bragging rights.

Well played, Bhutan. Well played.

I was in Bhutan 2015 and would go again, this time to the east. Fee was feeling a bit high when I wired it to some random account, but after getting there it was worth it (Though I usually don't hire private transport, guide etc.). I would not go for 2 week trekking there, you can have whole place for your self also in Nepal, but the villages and sights in Bhutan are just incredible. You can also dump your guide if you feel so and explore a town by your self, do some shopping or visit cafe. Or invite them to watch a international football match that was played during our stay. Guide contacted the hotel to delay the dinner until the match was over.