Tashi Dema

Within six hours after the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) uploaded a google form yesterday afternoon, 216 people working in the tourism and hospitality industry registered online for employment as of 6:45pm yesterday.

This is  part of an employment support scheme TCB worked in collaboration with its partners in government and private sector for those working in the industry and were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

TCB stated that while the government would make the formal announcement of the scheme through the economic stimulus plan, they are initiating the online registration so that they could pilot the online registration and improve it if necessary.

Those registered, according to TCB officials, would be provided with temporary jobs and other engagement projects during the travel restriction period and until tourism returns to normal.

The job seekers are expected to be employed in four areas of work, which includes infrastructure and manufacturing, surveys, studies or services, training and reskilling and waste management.

Of the 216 people registered as of yesterday evening, 81.5 percent were male and 18.5 percent female. The highest number of those registered are guides making it 67.6 percent followed by those working in hotels at 15.2 percent.

With more than 57.7 percent choosing survey, studies and services, it is the most preferred job followed by 26.6 percent choosing training and reskilling and 9.9 percent choosing infrastructure and manufacturing, according to TCB officials.

TCB urges everyone interested to register at the earliest so that jobs and similar engagement works could be started. “While we are targeting full-time salaried employees of tourism, others could also apply but they would have to work in one of the four areas.”

Meanwhile, a tour guide said he has opted for survey, studies or services and he hopes it starts soon. “As of now, it is just a registration. I have families to feed and am getting desperate.”