I want to travel to Bhutan. What do you recommend?

As a close neighbor of China, Bhutan, despite its unique scenery and culture, has always been regarded as a difficult country to visit due to visa, voyage and other reasons. Before leaving Bhutan, Mr. TsseringTashi, Bhutan's Minister of Tourism, accepted an exclusive interview with the Morning Post reporter. He hopes that the newspaper can convey such a message to readers in China: "This is not as difficult as you look!"

■ Does the government encourage foreigners to visit Bhutan?

A: At first, the number of inbound tourists was limited because we didn't have enough reception capacity. Now, our reception capacity has improved rapidly. However, we still adhere to the tourism policy of "high value and low impact" to avoid the influx of tourists and damage the environment.

It is said that it is difficult to get a visa to Bhutan. It takes at least five days?

A: It is not difficult to get a visa to Bhutan, but all foreign tourists must join a travel agency accredited by the Tourism Bureau and take the flight of the only airline in Bhutan. Generally, it takes five days to a week from application to visa. We appeal to tourists to book their trips to Bhutan as early as possible, because it is difficult to book seats on the only route.

■ If you travel in Bhutan, how much is it per day?

A: The minimum daily consumption of Bhutanese tourists is US$ 220, including accommodation, transportation, tour guides and one-off tourism construction fees, but these do not include personal consumption such as baggage fees and telephone charges. If tourists choose a higher-value hotel, the price may exceed the upper limit and they need to pay extra. If there are fewer than four people in the tour group, each person may have to pay 20 to 40 dollars more per day.

■ Foreign tourists must be accompanied by a tour guide when traveling in Bhutan. Why?

A: We do this to ensure the safety of tourists, and also to ensure that tourists can see more aspects of Bhutan in the shortest time. Moreover, our tour guide service is not completely compulsory, and tourists can still arrange their own time and travel routes freely.