India, March 16 -- Bhutan's $100 tourism tax serves as an eco-friendly model contrasting with Joshimath's environmental challenges.

Bhutan's Sustainable Development Fee promotes responsible tourism, funding healthcare and forest conservation.

This is in contrast with Joshimath's unchecked tourism leading to ecological damage.

The approach highlights need for Himalayan countries to prioritise ecological foresight over mass tourism.

Hotels tore apart and roads cracked open when Joshimath started sinking in January 2023. In 1976, the Mishra Committee cautioned against the construction on old landslides debris but Uttarakhand received some 54 million visitors in 2022, pushing concrete jungles to suddenly mushroom up on ecological areas. ...