A LOCAL GUIDE DIES TRYING TO SAVE THE LIFE OF HIS GUEST

November 5, 2015
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A 66-year-old male tourist from France and a 26-year-old guide died, after both drowning in Mebartsho in Bumthang.

The body of the 26-year-old guide who jumped in the Mebartsho (lake), Bumthang to rescue a tourist who slipped and fell in the lake around 10.50 am, 4th November 2015 is yet to be recovered.

According to police, the French tourist, 66, fell in the lake while taking photographs. Another tourists who had also jumped in the lake along with the guide to rescue, the tourist managed to come out safely.

He also managed to pull the tourist after he was pushed ashore by the guide. However, they could not save the guide as he was washed away.

The tourist died a few minutes later from excess water inhalation. The tourist travelled as a part of 15-member group. The guide was from Bongo, Chukha.

Bumthang dzongkhag officials, police and DeSuup volunteers searched for the body.

This is the fifth incident of drowning at Mebartsho since April 2011. In 2013, an Indian couple died after they drowned in the lake.

Since 2013, safety of tourists visiting the Mebartsho has been highlighted in all forums and even discussed in the Bumthang Dzongkhag Tshogdu. The Tshogdu even considered disallowing unguided tourists at the lake but later resolved that the dzongkhag come up with appropriate safety measures instead.

It has been more than two years now but safety at the lake site still remains an issue as ever. None of the trails are secured by fence on either of side of lake. As of last year, the dzongkhag administration was still looking for funds to construct railings and traditional structures in eight hazardous areas to ensure visitors’ safety.

Dzongkhag engineer Yeshey Dorji said that the safety plans could not be implemented out of fear from disturbing the sanctity of the sacred lake. “We couldn’t execute the plans as the home ministry didn’t respond on whether the constructions should be carried out,” he said.

However, the dzongkhag had put up cautionary signboards barring visitors from crossing certain hazardous points.

Yeshey Dorji said that accidents occurred because the visitors go too close to the lake not adhering to the warnings.

Hotel Association of Bumthang’s chairman Pema Dawa said that save for the concrete railing towards the lake from the road point, no additional safety mechanisms were in place.

Pema Dawa said the hoteliers raised the issue in every meeting with local leaders, parliamentarians, Tourism Council of Bhutan and the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “The issue always got sidelined because of lack of budget,” he said.

Going by media reports, at least one tourist dies in Bhutan every year.  The causes of death are either altitude sickness or medical condition for most international or dollar paying tourists, while most of the regional tourists died from mishaps.

In 2013 four tourists deaths were recorded.  In May, a Swedish tourist died after she slipped and fell below Bumdra, located high above Taktsang monastery in Paro.  In October, an Indian couple drowned at Mebartsho followed by the death of an elderly Japanese tourist, who died of altitude sickness.

Records indicate that most international tourists, who died in the country, were elderly people.  On an average, about four international tourists are evacuated every year from the mountains while on treks due to altitude sickness.

SOURCE: KUENSEL (Tempa Wangdi)

GNH & BUDDHISM MAIN ATTRACTION FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURIST

November 4, 2015
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Gross revenue from tourism increase by USD 9.71M

Apart from the unique culture, Buddhism and Gross National Happiness, the Royal Family was also the main attraction for international tourists who visited Bhutan last year, the 2014 tourism monitor states.

With a growth of about 15 percent, Bhutan recorded 133,480 international and regional tourists last year. The annual tourism monitor states that a majority of the tourists were female.

As is the trend, the 2014 data indicate that its mostly the elderly international visitors, highly educated, experienced and well settled who chose Bhutan as a holiday destination. A majority of the tourists who visited Bhutan last year was aged 61 years and above.

The monitor states that more than half of the international tourists were from Asia and the Pacific Region. About one-fourth was from Europe and the rest from North America and South America followed by the Middle East.

Nationality wise, Thai tourists accounted for one-fifth of the total tourists last year, which tourism officials attributed to the Bhutan-Thailand friendship offer where Thai tourists were exempted from the mandatory minimum daily tariff.

An exit study of the tourists where a sample size of 12,000 visitors was randomly interviewed indicated that the average stay was six nights for international tourists. However, about 19 percent of the tourists stayed for more than eight nights and about two percent for more than 15 nights in 2014.

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“The discount offered for those staying more than 8 and 15 nights designed to encourage longer stays doesn’t seem to be popular among international visitors,” the monitor states.

The monitor states that a majority of the international tourists were aware of the minimum daily tariff of USD 250 and 200 for the peak and lean seasons. However, the rest were not aware of the daily package rate.

At about 35 percent, the monitor states that proportion of respondents who didn’t have knowledge about the daily package rate structure is quite high given the increasing number of tourists visiting Bhutan every year.

Bhutan continues to be a cultural destination with a majority of the tourists still attracted to Bhutan by cultural and nature-based activities, adventure sports and other attractions like textiles, community-based activities, wellness and spa, and retreat.

The western dzongkhags of Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, as usual, continued to receive the highest number of tourists and the bed nights as well. Lhuentse, Pemagatshel, Dagana and Tsirang recorded the least number of bed nights in 2014.

Gross earnings from the international tourism increased to USD 73.2 million or about Nu 4.4B in 2014 from USD 63.49 million in 2013.

“However, this does not account for receipts from categories like airline receipts and out of pocket expenses,” the monitor states. It also states that more than 98 percent of international tourists visited Bhutan for the first time.

Source: Kuensel (Kinga Dema)

BHUTAN GETS ITS FIRST CHOPPER

October 31, 2015
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Bhutan’s first chopper lands

In a historic development for the aviation industry in Bhutan, the country’s first helicopter sporting the country’s national flag, touched down at Paro international airport, yesterday.

The helicopter, an Airbus H130, arrives ahead of a November 4 expected delivery date. The helicopter services are on schedule to be launched on November 5.

The helicopter was assembled, painted and tested in Singapore. It began its journey to Bhutan on October 27. It stopped over in Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, before reaching Bhutan. Upon entering Bhutanese airspace, the helicopter landed at the Gelephu domestic airport to refuel before heading to Paro airport.

The chairman of the helicopter board, Cabinet Secretary Kinzang Wangdi, was on board the helicopter. He joined the flight crew as a passenger from Dhaka, Bangladesh. The flight crew consisted of two test pilots and one engineer working for Airbus Helicopters. One of the Airbus pilots was the CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

The helicopter can accommodate up to seven passengers, excluding the pilot.

The chairman, who had never flown in a helicopter prior, said that he was initially nervous but that the flight had been “pleasant”, quiet and comfortable. He also pointed out that it was quite an experience given the panoramic view as a result of the large wrap-around windscreen and wide windows.

Kinzang Wangdi said it is  significant that Bhutan is receiving its first helicopter and will be introducing its services on the 60th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty The Fourth Druk Gyalpo.

The government plans to use the helicopters for search and rescue, air medical evacuations, fire fighting, moving cargo, transport of VIPs and government officials, and possibly even for tourism, among others.

The helicopter will be undergoing proving flights in the next few days as required by the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority. Flights could occur to other parts of the country.

News of the helicopter’s arrival was welcomed by citizens on social media with many offering their congratulations. Many posted and shared photos of the helicopter.

The helicopter will be based at the old hangar at Paro airport, which is the headquarters of the Royal Bhutan Helicopter Services Ltd (RBHS). The state-owned company has already recruited a pilot recommended by Airbus, and a helicopter engineer from India. Both have already started working for the company.

The second helicopter is expected to arrive sometime mid-next year.

Source: Kuensel (Gyalsten K Dorji)

MORE LUXURY HOTELS FOR BHUTAN

October 28, 2015
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Second Le Méridien property opens in Bhutan

LE Méridien Hotels & Resorts has launched its second hotel, Le Méridien Paro, Riverfront, in Bhutan following the establishment of Le Méridien Thimphu late last year.

Located 10 minutes from Paro International Airport, Le Méridien Paro, Riverfront features 59 Bhutanese-designed, contemporary guest rooms and suites, with a scenic view of the Eastern Himalayas.

Other facilities include a swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness centre and its signature Explore Spa. Guests will also be given complimentary access to Bhutan’s iconic attractions, the Paro Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest), Ta Dzong and the National Museum.

Source: TTG Asia, New York Daily News.

BHUTAN IS WORTH PAYING US$ 250 DIALY TARIFF.

October 26, 2015
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5 reasons Bhutan is worth the US$250 daily fee

Bhutan’s strategy of “low volume, high quality” tourism has made it a highly regarded destination among discerning travelers.

It costs an official US$250 per day per person to sample the charms of this isolated Himalayan kingdom, an amount that includes land transport, accommodations, food and guide service.

While it’s not quite an arm and a leg, the cost does seem restrictive for some. It’s the government’s way of keeping the country from being overrun by mass tourism, while at the same time ensuring its preferred visitors get the most value out of their trips.

So is it really worth the money? These five experiences have convinced us it is.

 

1. Bhutanese lifestyle

The word “authentic” is more overused than the word “sorry” in tourism, but Bhutan is a place that can remind us of the true meaning of cultural authenticity.

Tourism got here less than four decades ago. The hermit kingdom has preserved its rich cultural identity throughout years of isolation.

On the streets, traditional dress remains the preferred attire and local languages Dzongka and Sharchop can be heard. Native Dzongka-style architectural features still grace every building and Buddhism colors just about every aspect of life.

But change is in the air. The arrival of TV and the Internet in 1999 has brought the outside world into Bhutanese homes, with mostly positive reactions from the locals.

“I appreciate the technology and the progressive attitude of the so-called ‘modern world.’ This can help us improve farming techniques or use better medical facilities,” reflects Kinley Tenzing, a car salesman from the capital of Thimphu.

“We just need to manage foreign influence so that we don’t lose our cultural identity”.

Concerns about the erosion of Bhutanese values have led to a government-imposed dress code for working attire. Only the male gho and female kira dresses are allowed for official duties. There’s also a ban on non-traditional forms of architecture.

Despite this, one can occasionally glimpse T-shirts and jeans worn by young Bhutanese on weekends.

And an escalator-equipped shopping mall now stands proudly in the middle of Thimphu.

Starbucks and McDonald’s have yet to appear. They probably won’t open shop anytime soon.

 

2. Bhuddist peace

Outdoor enthusiast or not, no visitor leaves Bhutan without making the trek to the Taktsang Palphug, aka the Tiger’s Nest. See the gallery above.

Situated on the edge of a cliff, some 900 meters above the rice fields of Paro, this 320-year-old monastery is considered one of the kingdom’s most sacred religious sites.

Legend has it Guru Rinpoche, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, meditated for years inside a cave that now lies at the heart of the temple. The Tiger’s Nest is now a revered Buddhist meditation site and tourist attraction.

To get here, you’ll need to trek 90n minutes, breathing thin mountain air.

The trail winds through pine forests, past ancient Buddhist shrines adorned with endless lines of prayer flags. Smiling pilgrims and stunning landscape views accompany every step.

The hike takes effort, but simply walking these revered slopes is enough to induce a meditative mood.

 

3. Spicy food

The Bhutanese aren’t kidding when they say that chillies are their favorite vegetables.

Proof is their fondness for emma datshi, an insanely hot delicacy of boiled chillies and native cheese. It’s their de facto national dish, a source of cultural pride and a mainstay in every meal.

The first taste is always fiery, but get past the spice and it becomes easy to appreciate the creamy, salty, somewhat fruity flavor.

Paired with native red rice, emma datshi becomes a satisfying meal.

If you worry this dish will be too hot, fear not: local chefs usually tone it down for foreign diners.

 

4. Unexpected attractions

The town of Punakha is home to one of the most unusual shrines in Buddhism.

The Chimi Lhakhang is dedicated to Drukpa Kunley, a tantric Buddhist saint known for his unconventional approach to religion.

You’ll know what this means when you see the murals and carvings depicting the male phallus. Sex was Drukpa Kunley’s way of blessing devotees. It’s claimed he made love to more than 5,000 women in his lifetime and it’s believed the sex act helped devotees on the path to enlightenment.

The Chimi Lhakhang is more than just a village shrine. It’s a fertility pilgrimage site for those wishing to bear children.

Households around the shrine hang wooden phalluses to bless the home and promote harmony among family members.

 

5. Nightlife, Bhutan-style

Evening entertainment in Bhutan is rather tame. What it lacks in variety, however, it makes up for with distinctly Bhutanese character.

To see what we mean, visit a drayang in any of the bigger towns and cities. These homegrown nightclubs come complete with disco balls and flickering lights set amid simple wooden interiors.

The entertainment centers on singing. Patrons choose from a stable of in-house talent and pay them to perform onstage. The going rate is BTN 30 (around US$0.60) per tune.

Bhutanese performers belt out requests in Dzongkha and Hindi while customers kick back with Red Panda beers.

Never mind if the lyrics are indecipherable. The voices are shrill and the moves truly traditional. It’s a fun, fascinating night out.

Recommended is Lha-Yul Drayang in Paro Town, but try not to arrive too late -– the place closes at 11 p.m.

How to Get There: Drukair is the national carrier of Bhutan and also Bhutan Airlines  is the only one private airlines that flies to the international airport in Paro. The airlines has hubs at Singapore‘s Changi Airport,Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Kathmandu’s Tribuvan International Airport.

With the exception of Indian, Bangladeshi and Maldivian nationals, independent travelers must plan a trip through an authorized travel agencies.

Travel packages cost US$250 per day (US$200 for low season), but includes guide, land transport, meals and three-star accommodation.

Contributed by Lester V. Ledesma

Trekking in Bhutan only on designated routs and campsites

October 20, 2015
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Tourism Council of Bhutan: Tour operators must use designated routes and campsites

In the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the Bumdra campsite above Taktshang in Paro, Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) officials clarified that the campsite is not among the approved trekking routes and campsites.

This means that tour operators cannot keep their guests at Bumdra campsite.

If tour operators are found using undesignated trekking routes and campsites, TCB officials said they would be penalised in line with the tourism regulations.

The tourism rules and regulations states that if tour operators are found using trekking routes and campsites that are not in the TCB’s published list, they will be slapped a fine of Nu 5,000 with a warning on the first instance. If caught again, tour operators will be penalised Nu 10,000 with a warning. On the third offense, the tour operator’s licence will be cancelled.

It was alleged that a permanent campsite was set up at Bumdra acquiring land on lease from the dratshang without following due processes. The company is also alleged to be charging exorbitant rates for the facilities at the campsite that was equipped with solar power and Internet connectivity.

TCB officials said the company providing trekking services at Bumdra is not registered with them. In such cases, officials said that tour operators will be answerable and not the service provider since tour operators and guides are under the TCB’s purview and not service providers.

TCB’s head of marketing and promotion division Damcho Rinzin said the list of trek routes and campsites are also reflected in the Tashel online system where tour operators must identify the names of campsites if tourists are going camping or trekking.

“All tour operators must be aware of the designated trekking routes and campsites,” he said, adding that the same applies for accommodation. “It is mandatory that all tourists are kept in tourist standard accommodation.”

Records with TCB show about 34 designated trekking routes and campsites across the country. There are about 57 TCB certified farm stays in the country with the highest in Wangduephodrang at 24. There are about 123 tourist standard hotels in the country.

Although known for its environment, Bhutan is rather seen as a cultural destination and comparatively receives less number of trekking tourists every year. Trekking in Bhutan is part of nature-based tourism activity with treks varying from one to 40 nights.

In 2014, trekking tourists constituted about 13 percent of the total international arrivals records with TCB show. About 68,081 international tourists visited Bhutan last year.

Trekking tourists increased in 2010 and 2011 after which it started to decline. In 2010, the country recorded 2,753 trekking tourists, which increased to 3,402 in 2011. However, it dropped to 3,165 in 2012 while in 2013 only about 2,943 of the total international arrivals were for trekking.

Tour operators said most tourists complained that trekking in Bhutan was not worth what they paid for given the garbage filled trails and lack of infrastructure or development along the routes.

Despite the same minimum daily tariff of USD 250 and 200 during the peak and lean season for both cultural and trekking tourists, tour operators said it was easier to sell cultural tour packages.

Contributed by Kuensel (Kinga Dema)

BHUTAN TOURISM COUNCIL TO BE GIVEN MORE TEETH

October 3, 2015
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It’s to take over licensing of travel agencies, tourist class accommodation and restaurants.

The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) will take over the licensing of travel agencies, tourist class accommodation and restaurants as per the requirement of the revised tourism rules and regulations, 2014, that the cabinet endorsed recently.

However, the regulation is yet to be finalised, as the cabinet has instructed the council to incorporate few changes.

The regional trade and industry office currently issues licenses to travel agencies and hotels, while the council issues licenses to tourist guides and trekking cooks.

Once finalised, the annual license fee would also increase to Nu 13,000 from the existing Nu 12,000. TCB will also collect Nu 50 a day as late renewal fee.

The revised regulation is more stringent on license cancellation and suspension, should a tour operator or guide get involved in any fraudulent activity.

For instance, a disciplinary committee will handle the case and its decision would be based on factors including court verdicts, if a case is registered with the court. The council in suspending a license shall consider the severity of the offence and suspend the license for a period not more than three years.

The revised regulation has empowered the council with the authority to impose penalties on a person, who is guilty of an offence under these regulations, depending on the gravity. The penalties include a fine up to Nu 25,000 for the first instance, or notice of caution if an offence is not grave, and a fine of Nu 50,000 for the second instance, while on the third and fourth instances, licenses are suspended or cancelled.

In case of a severe offence, the company or the guide can also be blacklisted, prohibiting him or her from carrying out any tourism-related services.

Unlike the previous tourism rules and regulations of 1999, the revised regulation doesn’t mention the high and low seasons, but has categorised the minimum daily tariff under high season and other season. The high season months are March, April, May, September, October, November, while the rest are the “other season” months.

The council’s vice chairman, economic affair minister Norbu Wangchuk, said the existing rules and regulations have been revised to provide a legal framework.

Lyonpo said the council had endorsed the revised regulations in July 2014, after which it was submitted to the cabinet for approval. “Currently, the tourism industry operates under three stand alone regulations, which now has been integrated into one,” lyonpo said.

The three regulations, lyonpo said, were for tour operators, trekking and familarisation tours.

Tourists, hotels, tour operators and guides, among others, being the main stakeholders, lyonpo said that there was a need to clarify their roles and responsibilities. “The revised rules and regulations, 2014 will now serve as the guide for the tourism industry.”

Source: Kinga Dema (KUENSEL)

Bhutan: A trip to the happiest place on earth

October 1, 2015
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Trekking through the Himalayas in Bhutan.

Trekking through the Himalayas in Bhutan.

I’m in the prayer hall of Tango Buddhist monastery high on a mountainside in Bhutan, watching as a woman performs chag, ritual prostrations before the Buddha.

Three times she clasps her hands in the prayer position, brings them to the crown of her head, to her throat and then to her heart before folding to a kneeling posture and touching her forehead to the floor.

Chag is one of seven ritual practices known as yoen lak duen pa; the woman is a Westerner. Over the next week it’s a theme repeated with many small variations, foreign visitors spinning prayer wheels, lighting butter lamps, wearing the white khata, Buddhist symbol of purity.

Monks look out of a temple in Tango monastery on the outskirts of Thimphu. Photo: Reuters

“Why do people come to Bhutan?” a guest at dinner in my hotel asks me that night. He’s Bhutanese, a lawyer, and it’s a rhetorical question.

“It has a wonderful topography of mountains and forests and rivers, clean air, small population, but then so does Colorado, so does New Zealand and Switzerland. So why do people come from so far when they could so easily and so much less expensively find all these things closer to home?

Because they come to Bhutan for the culture. Because they sense in Bhutan something that has been lost from their own existence,” he says. “They want to change their lives.”

Mount Jumolhari at 7300 metres, seen through prayer flags from Chele La Pass. Photo: Danita Delimont

The last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom, Bhutan is a world apart, a misty, mystic, sequestered realm of chanting monks, prayer flags and monasteries perched high on sub-Himalayan ridgetops. Known as Druk-yul, “Land of the Thunder Dragon”, Bhutan moves to its own rhythm.

This was the last country to get television, and still, so they say, the last without a traffic light. The sale and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products is illegal. The gho, the knee-length robe that is the Bhutanese national costume, is required for men working for the government, schools or the tourism industry.

Most famous is Bhutan’s concept of Gross National Happiness, its unique contribution to the way nations measure their success. Rather than the crude yardstick of Gross Domestic Product, Bhutan gauges its position in the world by the four yardsticks of culture, environment, good governance and economic development. It’s another kind of richness, and viewed through the prism of GNH, Bhutan scores well.

 Elderly men in traditional Bhutanese dress are seen at a Buddhist festival in Thimphu. Photo: Reuters

Bhutan offers a masterclass in another way to live, but it’s not for everyone. Bhutan pursues a policy of high-value, low-impact tourism “aimed at attracting tourists who will respect the unique culture and values of the Bhutanese people”, according to the government’s website.

Apart from visitors from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives, every visitor pays an admission fee of US$250 (NZ$380), a figure that deters backpackers and budget travellers. Excluding visitors from the subcontinent, Bhutan laid out the welcome mat to a little more than 50,000 international arrivals in 2013. It’s exclusive, and the high admission price adds to its mystique. It also fosters a clubby elitism among its visitors.

Although it has all the right credentials to become the adventure capital of Asia, apart from white-water rafting on the Pho Chu River and a couple of hardcore treks, the lack of specialist operators and the high cost rules this out as a premium adventure destination. Once you’ve visited a couple of monasteries, admired the sunrise over the Himalayas, shopped for prayer wheels or singing bowls and drunk your fill of butter tea, there’s not an awful lot to do.

A statue of Lord Buddha is pictured at Kuensel Phodrang in Thimphu. Photo: Reuters

Walking, however, is essential, and it’s humbling as well as challenging. Visitors must get used to panting. Paro, Bhutan’s international airport, sits in a valley at an altitude of 2200 metres. Almost exactly the same altitude as Mount Kosciuszko, and, from Paro, just about everything is up.

Walking here takes you into thigh-burning territory, along forest paths where the trees are webbed with wild clematis or old man’s beard, known here as Dakini hair after the female sky dancers who assist Buddhists along the path to enlightenment. The trail will usually deliver you to a monastery, which are pitched high on the mountainsides for reasons of security as well as the essential quality of isolation.

The ParoTaktsang Palphug Buddhist monastery, also known as the Tiger’s Nest. Photo: Reuters

I’m on a high trail climbing towards the pass at Chele La when there’s an almighty howling. One of the dogs that has been accompanying us has invaded the territory of another. “Anger,” says Kuenzang Tobgay, my guide. “One of the three poisons that stands in the way of enlightenment.”

Although my prostrations might be less than perfect, if I can cling to that thought in traffic, in the supermarket queue or next time I’m on hold on the phone listening to inane music, Bhutan will have changed my life for the better.

 A boy and an elderly man are seen at a prayer wheel at the National Memorial Chorten in Thimpu. Photo: Reuters

MORE INFORMATION tourism.gov.bt

GETTING THERE Druk Air has daily flights from Bangkok and twice weekly flights from Singapore to Paro, the only international airport. See drukasia.com/Bhutan

New Zealand passport holders require a visa and must book their holiday through a Bhutanese tour operator or one of their international partners.

STAYING THERE Le Meridien is a new addition to Bhutan, the first Western-style hotel from one of the major hotel groups. Close to the heart of Thimphu, the capital, it offers a high level of comfort, style and amenities.

See starwoodhotels.com

The daily package price that all visitors are required to pay US$250 covers the cost of three-star hotel accommodation, meals, tours, guide services and transport. Visitors who choose to stay in more comfortable accommodation pay more.

Jordan Siemens, The writer travelled as a guest of Le Meridien Hotel in Thimphu. 

Bhutan records fall in international tourist arrivals

October 1, 2015
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Peak season records fall in tourist arrivals

While spring has not been so bountiful, there is not much to look forward to in fall either for the tourism industry that saw a drop in international tourist arrivals by about 14.62 percent as of August this year.

Even the ongoing Thimphu tshechu, one of the highlights of the peak season failed to draw as many international tourists as it did last year.

Records with the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) show that a total of 3,495 international tourists have been booked to arrive for the Thimphu tshechu this year against 5,280 international tourists in 2014 for the same period.

Bhutan recorded a total of 99,709 tourists as of August 31 of which 32,877 were international visitors and 66,832 regional visitors. While this is an overall increase of 30.83 percent, in terms of international tourists, this season saw a drop of 14.62 percent.

Regional tourist arrivals continued to increase this year. As of August 31, regional tourists recorded an increase of 77.25 percent compared to the same period last year.

Visitors from India, Maldives and Bangladesh are considered as regional tourists. They are exempt from the minimum daily tariff of USD 250 and 200 during the peak and lean seasons that the international tourists pay to visit Bhutan.

TCB officials said the Bhutan-Thailand friendship offer for the lean months of June, July and August brought in a total of 8,842 Thai visitors that boosted the international tourist arrivals statistics.

However, they also said that the tourism industry continues to be affected by the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake and the bomb blast in Bangkok, Thailand since Bangkok is the preferred choice of entry point and circuit destination for visitors coming to Bhutan.

The drop in arrivals, which is compounded by the increasing number of tour operators and guides leaving, has left the industry in doldrums.

Hotels and Restaurants Association of Bhutan’s president Thinley Palden Dorji said that while the association doesn’t have data on occupancy yet, going by the demand, there is a decline from last year. “This year it’s relatively calmer and easier to get rooms unlike last year,” he said, adding this has left many hotels worried.

However, Thinley Palden Dorji said that last year as the Thimphu tshechu coincided with the puja holidays in October, it had increased demand for rooms from regional tourists.

As for tour operators, most said they recorded a drop in arrivals compared to the past years.

“For us, it’s been the same like last year but this year it wasn’t difficult getting hotels,” a tour operator said. “Still there are many hotels available while last year there was shortage of rooms everywhere.”

Etho Metho tour and treks’ director Sangay Wangchuk said they experienced a drop in tourists by about 30 to 40 percent compared to last year. He attributed the drop to the Nepal earthquake, which led to cancellation of trips.

Some tour operators said that Myanmar and Sri Lanka emerging as new destinations had an impact on Bhutan as a destination. Besides, tour operators said that the increasing number of Bhutanese tour operators led to more competition.

Guides Association of Bhutan’s (GAB) chairman Garab Dorji said that at this time of the year, the association receives many requests for guides. “This year there are hardly any requests which means there is a drop in arrivals,” he said. “Most guides were saying they aren’t engaged this time.”

During peak seasons, GAB arranges freelance guides for tour operators when the demand soars. However since last year, Garab Dorji said the market has been inundated with guides.  “Every year about 400 to 500 guides enter the market,” he said.

A tour operator said that the drop in international tourist arrivals this fall is proof of how volatile the tourism industry is. “It only goes to show what we are up against if the country becomes too dependent on tourism,” he said.

There are more than 2,300 guides, 1,600 tour operators and 123 tourist standard hotels in the country as of last year.

Contributed by: Kinga Dema (Kuensel)

Informal regional tourists threatens Bhutan Tourism

September 30, 2015
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Formalise regional tourism, say Bhutanese tour operators

The influx of Indian tourists into the country without routing through local tour agents, known as informal tourism, has become a major problem for the tourism sector.

This was one of the issues Bhutanese tour operators raised with their counterparts from India during the Bhutan-India Tourism Conclave in Thimphu yesterday.

Bhutanese tour operators said the increasing number of Indian tourists coming in informally has resulted in poor service and unfortunate incidents such as the drowning incident in Mebartsho, Bumthang in 2013.

Such experiences, tourism officials, said can be avoided if Indian tourists come through tour agents and hire local guides.

Comprising 51 percent of the total tourist arrivals, India is the single largest tourist market for Bhutan in terms of number. Last year, Bhutan received 133,000 tourists in total, out of which 68,000 were Indians.

The upcoming visit of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Bhutan next month is expected to boost tourist arrivals from the state, tourism officials said.

Tour operators also said it was difficult to provide quality service and security in Bhutan if Indian tourists do not come through formal channel.

“We don’t want seven tourists to crowd a hotel room. We don’t want a Bolero car crowded with tourists,” Karma Loday of Yangphel Tours and Travel said.

He said the dollar-paying tourists get first class treatment unlike regional tourists and stressed that regional tourists should get quality services and take home good experience of their stay in Bhutan.

President of Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Ugen Tshechup Dorji, said the informal tourism sector has to be streamlined to provide the best of services. “One of the ways to make tourists come back to Bhutan again and again is by giving them good experience through quality service,” he said.

He also said it was important for Bhutan to harness the potential of tourism market in India, one of the largest economies in the world. “So far, we have never looked next door (India), where there is a huge potential,” he said.

However, Ugen Tshechup Dorji also said there was a need to create adequate awareness on Bhutan as a tourist destination for potential Indian tourists. He said Bhutan was better known in Europe than in India.

An Indian tour operator said the Bhutanese counterparts should not compare Indian tourists with Western tourists as the latter have their own preferences. “Indian tourists are not alternative business to Bhutan. They bring business when you have nothing,” he said.

The Indian tour operators also said that today more Indian tourists fly into Bhutan, supporting the country’s high-end tourism policy. He said many Indian tourists are now paying more than Nu 10,000 a night and stay in hotels like the Le Meriden and Terma Linka.

Highlighting some of the problems faced by Indian tourists in Bhutan, he said Bhutanese hotels close after 9pm, which is quite early for Indian tourists. “Indian tourists are not like western tourists who go to their rooms after 7pm.”

While some participants from India said airfares should be cheaper to encourage Indian customers to use flights, others asked for Indian chefs in hotels.

Responding to the participants, Thinley Palden Dorji of Hotel Association of Bhutan said that with the increase in number of regional tourists, the Bhutanese mindset was now changing that Indian tourists are for good.

Until recently, he said the regional tourism was not so significant and that the problem arose because the Bhutanese hospitality industry was initially designed to cater to western high-end tourists.  He assured that Bhutanese hoteliers would adapt to the needs of Indian tourists as the number increases.

Speaking at the seminar, labour minister Ngeema Sangay Tshempo said tourists are encouraged to hire guides and come through local tour agents. “We treat tourists as our guests and they should not be left on their own,” he said, adding that the government encourages guided tourists.

The minister said the government is looking at taking tourists to eastern and southern Bhutan to avoid over-crowding in west and central dzongkhags.

Indian ambassador to Bhutan, Gautam Bambawale, said India recognises Bhutan’s low-volume-high-value tourism policy and that tourism is the main area operated by the private sector in the country.

Source: MB Subba (KUENSEL)

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