February 21: Tour operators and people working in the hospitality sector have appealed to the Election Commission to be eligible for postal ballot.

With the National Assembly elections slated for March 24, people working in hotels and tourism companies said they may not be able to take part in the historic elections.

March is a peak tourist season. There are around 2,500 people working in the tourism sector. And most of them are employed as guides, drivers, and ticketing agents. There is no data available on the number of employees who work in the hotels.

The Department of Tourism says there are around 100 hotels across the kingdom that caters to tourists. And March is a busy month for those in the tourism industry.

The Paro Tshechu, a big event in the tourism calendar, will be held in the third week of March. It is a major draw attracting hundreds of tourists.

Tour operators and hoteliers said they may not be able to participate in the historic elections unless they are allowed to use postal ballots.

Election Commissioner Chogyal Dago Rigdzin said it is not possible to allow them to vote through post. He said the Election Commission may consider providing postal ballots for the tourism sector in future elections.