The new Director of the Department of Tourism, Damcho Rinzin, talks to Kuensel reporter Dechen Dolkar on a range of issues related to tourism, attracting 300,000 tourists annually, and plans to spread the benefits of tourism across the country

What priorities will you focus on to bring about changes in the tourism industry?

“…in the 1970s, tourism as an industry was only introduced after the coronation of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. It was suggested to us then that Bhutan would benefit economically from bringing in as many tourists as possible into the country. At that time, Bhutan was largely unknown to the outside world. And yet, with Drukgyal Zhipa at the helm, we had the confidence to make our own decisions- to decide that our approach to tourism policy would be that of high value low volume. It seemed counter-intuitive at a time when tourists to Bhutan were so few. There were many skeptics. But because of that policy, Brand Bhutan emerged. And you see the results of that policy for yourselves today. People who make it to Bhutan feel privileged to be our guest. In hindsight, we realize the profound wisdom of that decision, but we could have easily gone the other way, had it not been for that conviction we had to forge our own path, our future, and our destiny.” – His Majesty The King, 2016

I will always be guided by the above quote of His Majesty the King. Tourism must continue to serve Bhutan, not Bhutan serving tourism. It must create opportunities. Tourism must improve the lives of all Bhutanese people. It should strengthen our sovereignty, and it must strengthen the brand Bhutan. The tourism vision was crafted carefully to secure and balance the dual objectives of preserving our national identity and leveraging economic gains. We must constantly remind ourselves that our aspiration is to be an exclusive destination, sustainably managing the number of visitors to provide maximum value for the visitors and for all the people of Bhutan. Thus, it is very important to ensure that the tourism industry of Bhutan aligns with the vision of high value, low volume.

Tourism is a strategic national asset for Bhutan and every Bhutanese is a stakeholder. One of my focus areas is to gradually ensure that every Bhutanese becomes a tourism brand ambassador, taking keen interest and supporting tourism as responsible Bhutanese. I am glad that the top experience of tourists is their interaction with the Bhutanese people. I want to work on programmes to increase awareness on why Bhutanese people, even if they do not have a direct stake, need to support tourism for the greater benefit. I want to ensure that they are the custodians of the ‘Bhutan Believe’ brand.

The other focus will be on strengthening the tourism industry’s engagement, commitment, and collaboration. It is imperative that I work with the tourism private sector because it is the backbone of the tourism industry. I want to engage them regularly and work on different areas of collaboration. It is also important that we work together to support the national interest and goals through tourism. With strong participation and commitment from the private sector, I am confident that we can bring a positive impact for Bhutan.

Likewise, it will be equally important to engage and collaborate with other public and non-governmental agencies. There are a good number of agencies currently supporting tourism and we can work on sharing resources to increase the footprint of our engagement. I would like to strengthen the collaboration and partnership in the areas of tourism. Such collaboration is only win-win because all of us want to ensure that our interventions bring positive impact for Bhutan and to tourists.

It is absolutely important for the tourism partners to rethink their roles in the tourism eco-system. They must recalibrate and evolve to stay relevant in this very competitive world. As suggested by Maxwell, there should be a ‘leader shift’ in the industry, with continuous evolution and adaptation, making strategic shifts, to remain effective. It will be important to map the roles of all tourism stakeholders to strengthen the effectiveness of the tourism industry.

Then the other focus is strengthening and professionalising my team at the Department of Tourism. Without an effective, committed, and motivated team, I will not be able to achieve my dream for the tourism of Bhutan. There are many stakeholders within and outside Bhutan that depend on the Department. Those working for the Department must be motivated, incentivised, and be equipped with the right skills, exposure, experience, and knowledge to provide support to the stakeholders efficiently. It is very important to work on building an effective team that is motivated and has the sense of belongingness to accomplish the high value tourism vision of Bhutan.

The other important area of focus is enhancing systems and processes because it is the lifeline of the tourism value chain. It is important to leverage technology to provide seamless, efficient services. I will work on developing required systems to address these challenges with the support of the stakeholders.

Our beautiful, amazing country with huge potential to attract tourists will not realise the goal of tourism if we do not work on increasing the visibility and attractiveness of Bhutan. Strategic marketing and promotion is very important to attract the right kind of tourists to Bhutan and ensure that brand narrative and information are consistently communicated. The Department will work with private sector and other relevant stakeholders, local and global, in marketing, not only to make our presence felt in key source markets, but also to make sure Bhutan constantly stays in the minds of potential travellers, resulting in increased visitor footfalls.

It is important to deliver the brand promise of providing high value experiences. Thus, the quality and standards of tourism infrastructure and facilities are very important. My other focus will be to enhance the standards and quality of such facilities and services.

Bhutan as a country is an experience by itself and there are many opportunities to curate wonderful experiences for tourists by taking advantage of our rich culture and environment. I will work more on this opportunity to diversify and provide authentic tourism offerings. The other important immediate initiative is to have a common vision and roadmap for the industry which is accepted and adopted by all stakeholders, public and private. This will provide clarity to the changes that took place so far and more importantly, align our interventions and activities with the vision.

What specific strategies does the Department plan to implement to maintain Bhutan’s status as a high-value, low volume tourist destination?

The goal of tourism in Bhutan is to attract high net-worth, responsible and conscious tourists who will become our brand ambassadors and lifelong friends. It is about welcoming discerning visitors, who are appreciative of and sensitive to our culture, heritage and values, and willing to pay a premium for visiting Bhutan.

Over the years, I am happy that I have met so many tourists who have been very supportive of our tourism policy. Some even help us clean our places, plant trees, and they also provide support to schools, villages, farmers, our guides and drivers.

These are the kind of tourists we want to attract – who are responsible, mindful, and conscious about their travel and impacts. Therefore, strategic marketing is very important.

As the popular saying goes ‘what gets measured gets managed’, it is important to understand the carrying capacity of Bhutan as a destination and also the carrying capacity of the respective places and sites within Bhutan to be able to determine the positive and negative impacts of tourism. We must slowly develop systems to implement destination management principles like ‘Limits to Acceptable Change’ to generate positive benefits from tourism.

People are at the core of any tourism destination and experience. We must work on programmes to generate positive acceptance and support from our people. It is also important to have a highly skilled, knowledgeable, and highly paid professional workforce in providing high value services. There must be concerted efforts from all stakeholders to ensure that the tourism industry of Bhutan is sustainable. It is important to also work on their preparedness to align with the nation’s sustainability vision. 

What initiatives are being planned to enhance the experience for high-value tourists, ensuring their investment is worthwhile?

Bhutan is a beautiful country and it has a very good reputation as a safe, happy and peaceful country with our selfless, visionary Kings always working hard for the interest of Bhutan. This is the brand value for Bhutan and this is one of the most important factors attracting tourists. Therefore, it is important work on delivering the perceived expectation of tourists of a happy and peaceful country. I will seek the help of our industry experts to help curate high value experiences. Bhutan has ample opportunities to develop high value experiences, new and unique, without having to invest a lot of money.

Guides and drivers play a crucial role in the experiences of tourists because tourists spend most of their time with them. So, it is important to upgrade their skills and provide regular training and induction. It is also important to enhance their job status and make their job attractive. 

Additionally, those in the hospitality sector also play an important role and this includes families providing village homestays experiences. They are crucial in ensuring that tourists feel homely and welcomed. Regular capacity building support will be provided and will involve Bhutanese tourism stakeholders to help monitor the standards and quality.

I am excited about the upcoming mobile application being developed. It will be an important tool for tourists and the tourism industry of Bhutan. The App will have good features from service ratings to connecting with different service providers to enhance travel facilitation and experience.

What new marketing strategies are being developed to attract 300,000 tourists

annually?

The marketing strategies adopted by the Department has worked well and we will continue to use the same strategies but be mindful of the new trends in the market.

We will continue to produce press releases on various topics and attractions of Bhutan. We produce and circulate over 50 press releases every year. For example, we have done a press release on why visit Bhutan in winter and summer to break the myth that these two seasons are not a good time to visit Bhutan. It is a very good way to increase our possibility to be featured on various platforms for free and to promote topics and attractions of our interest.

I want to work on having at least two popular and interesting events and products every month in each Dzongkhag, spread over the four seasons. With such anchor events and products, it will make it easier to promote each month and all 20 Dzongkhags. At present, it is difficult to recommend tourism offerings for some months and some Dzongkhags. Once these events and products become popular, it will lead to promoting other tourism activities resulting in an increase in tourism numbers.

Digital marketing, which includes social media, is very necessary because it is cost effective and the reach is instant. Innovative and creative digital campaigns will be used with regular new content by leveraging relevant channels.

Promotional events like tourism fairs and roadshows are important, especially for the private sector to connect with the suppliers of the source markets. The Department will work on exploring new markets to increase the market base for Bhutan. Similarly, high-end tourism networks will be used to access their high-end network of travel agents and travel advisors.

We will also use webinars regularly to promote and educate international agents and tourists about Bhutan. It is a very cost-effective way to promote Bhutan to anyone from anywhere in the world.

Having a digital asset bank with high-quality, recently taken photos and videos available for free for anyone in tourism is crucial. With many using the content, it will generate increased promotional reach for Bhutan. We will continue to support the relevant employees of the international travel agents, press and influencers on familiarization trips because it is a very cost-effective way of promoting Bhutan.

With the SDF waiver for Meetings, Incentive, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, we will continue to market and collaborate with MICE promoters. MICE will really help our hotels, tour operators, guides, and transport providers in Bhutan. In addition, it is important to develop circuit and product branding to position different regions and products to undertake targeted marketing and promotion.

How does the Department plan to collaborate with and regulate foreign tour operators to maintain fair competition and uphold quality standards?

Foreign tour operators bring business for Bhutan and we must continue to engage and support them. We need to take advantage of them being in the source markets with direct access to tourists. These foreign partners work with our Bhutanese service providers who will ensure the quality. 

We need to support our private sector to increase their marketing activities. And sometimes marketing does not only mean going to another country by spending money. We must first work on the basics like having a good, dynamic website. Featuring the business on popular search platforms like Google Map, TripAdvisor, etc., is very important and necessary. There are many online platforms that are free that we can take advantage. Similarly, use of social media and developing creative content is essential.

With more and more choosing to book their travel via online platforms, it is important to work on providing support with an online booking system and payment gateway to make it easier for the service providers to get direct bookings from tourists.

What specific initiatives are being undertaken to promote tourism in

eastern Bhutan?

We feel that eastern Bhutan will start to attract a good number of tourists with the formal opening of Samdrupjongkhar for entry and exit, which will happen soon. Once this happens, tourists can enter and exit via Samdrupjongkhar without having to travel to and from Paro or Phuentsholing as it is now. It will also attract repeat tourists who have visited the west but want to explore the east and nearby areas. 

We have also planned some good events like Yeti and Rhododendron festivals which will be promoted as top, attractive events. Similarly, the Dzongkhags have proposed some interesting initiatives which the Department will support and collaborate with. We will come up with a few attractions, products and events to put eastern Bhutan on the tourism map of Bhutan.

We also plan to have capacity development for eastern Bhutan and nearby areas. For example, we do not have licensed guides in these places. We are exploring with relevant partners to find a solution for this where we can provide provisional licenses. Similarly, capacity development and enhancement for the hospitality sector in these areas is important.

The current GEF Ecotourism project will be crucial in promoting eastern Bhutan. Some of the flagship experiences are – the Ludlow’s Bhutan Glory trail in Trashiyangtse; Jomo Panda trail in Trashigang providing a wonderful experience to see Red Panda; high-end birding experience in Mongar; and community-based tourism.

The other important way to promote different regions of Bhutan is through Dzongkhag branding, which will play an important role to differentiate the unique offerings of each Dzongkhag.