Director General's Note: - Tourism Council of Bhutan

Director General’s Note:
From the farmers to small business owners to local
chambers of commerce, Tourism Council of Bhutan
affects every citizen across the state, in communities of
all sizes. We just change the colours and the temperatures,
whether you visit in fall, winter, spring or summer, each
season offers a distinctive vacation experience.
Kesang Wangdi
Director GeNeral at
Guwahati iNNaGuratioN:
October, 2010 Tourists have an alternate route to enter or exit
Bhutan. The country’s national airline, Drukair, inaugurated its
route from Paro to destinations abroad via Lokpriya Gopinath
Bordoloi international airport in Guwahati on October 26.
Flights were operational from October 31. The 50-minute flight
to and from Assam would be an en-route stop for flights to and
from Bangkok.
Except for a proof of identity Bhutanese and Indians flying
to and from Bhutan need not have visas. The Air Bus A-319,
which operates fort nightly with a capacity of 114 passengers,
has 94 seats in the economy class and 20 in the business class.
This flight not only benefits the tourist, but also the country’s
government officials as they’ll take less time to reach eastern
Bhutan.
Drukair currently operates in Bangkok, Delhi, Dhaka,
Kathmandu, Kolkata, Gaya and Bagdogra. Plans to expand
flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai and Chennai are in
the pipeline.
Winter 2010
Tourism Website Services:
The Internet is changing the World. Before our eyes, the World
Wide Web is systematically transforming industry after industry.
To an increasing extent, a company does not exist if it is not
present on the Internet.
Our resources plan to exploit this trend. The tourism industry
is in the early stages of being transformed by the Internet. Our
Resources will passionately focus on the Bhutanese tourism
segments of this industry. The company will bring resorts and
tourist destinations onto the World Wide Web. By creating
websites for our clients, we will establish them on the Web at a
key moment in the transformation of the tourism industry.
The company will use its marketing resources to define a new
niche in the tourism market. This niche focus will include
website design and overall Web strategy for resort operators and
other tourist destinations in Bhutan.
In keeping with the changing times and trends a more
comprehensive and interactive website is being developed to
ensure better reach and information dissemination. The website
accommodate interactive maps, user generated comments
(UGC), receipt of feedback and inquiries that are being responded
to on a regular basis. Social media sites for TCB have created
and information being disseminated through those as well. Our
email newsletter is sent out automatically to all of our members
however you may wish to subscribe to it even if you are not a
member of our Web site. By subscribing to our newsletter, we
will give you the latest information on events, specials, new
attractions and activities, as well as ideas for planning your next
trip to Bhutan.
In this issue:
1. TOURISM WEBSITE SERVICES
2. EVENTS AND SHOWS
3. DRIGLAM NAMZHA
4. RENOVATION OF RODHUPHU GUEST HOUSE
(TRANSIT CAMP)
5. COLLABORATION WITH MEDIA PERSONNEL
6. MOU BETWEEN THE TCB AND THE MINISTRY
OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY(MOAF)
7. BHUTAN- TIGER CORRIDOR
8. UPCOMING EVENTS
9. SERVICES
10. EDITOR’S NOTE
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Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter

TaShel Online:
Tashel online system is developed in collaboration with the
department of immigration to simplify the procedure for tourist
visa and reduce administrative burden as per the policies of the
royal government.
One day Training was organized by the Tourism Council of
Bhutan (TCB) for the tour operator, more than hundred tour
operators attended the one day training which was conducted on
17th July, 2010.
Tashel online was started on 19th July, with the start of online
visa lot of work has become easier for the tour operator, as well
as for the foreigners.
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter 2 Winter 2010

inauguraTiOn Of The
rOyal inSTiTuTe Of TOuriSm
and hOSpiTaliTy
The Royal Institute of Tourism and hospitality (RITH)
erstwhile Hotel and Tourism Management Institute consisting
of infrastructure development, curriculum development and
faculty training, jointly financed by the Republic of Austria and
the Royal Government of Bhutan
was inaugurated
on 15th of
October, 2010
by Her Majesty
the Queen
Mother, Ashi
Dorji Wangmo
Wangchuck.
The initiative
to establish the
institute was born
in the early 1990s
with a shared
desire to promote
tourism development
in the country
and following a
feasibility study in 2002, an agreement was signed
between two governments for co-financing two parts projects
comprising infrastructure and training components. The two
year diploma programme in tourism and hotel management
was begun in August 2010.
The Director General said “it is propitious that the Royal
Institute for Tourism and Hospitality is born as the Royal
Government prioritizes tourism as a lead sector for creating
economic opportunities and generating employment.”
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed bringing in
to effect the affiliation of RITH to the University of Applied
Sciences, Salzburg.
a Team frOm BhuTan TO
COSTa riCa:
As a part of the Experience Exchange Program, a visit was
undertaken by a team from Bhutan to Costa
Rica from 17th till 22nd June 2010. The main purpose of the visit
was to update on the project implementation status and visit the
project sites in the respective countries. The project was a threeyear
programme for South-South Cooperation on Sustainable
Development between Benin, Bhutan and Costa Rica which was
Winter 2010
proposed (PSC), based on the goals of the Strategic Partnership
Agreement (signed between these three countries in 2002),
and the experiences of the bilateral Sustainable Development
Agreements.
The PSC seeks to catalyze the transition of sustainability
by supporting innovation in policies, seeding initiatives,
replicating successes, establishing new partnerships with
civil society organizations between the partner countries, and
disseminating information targeting the five thematic areas;
* Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
* Sustainable tourism
* Sustainable production and consumption chains
* Access to sustainable energy and efficient energy use
* Gender equity (as a cross-cutting theme).
BhuTan and SChOemBerg:
The Tourism Council of Bhutan Secretariat along
with Centre for Bhutan Studies and a local Cultural
Troupe has participated in the First Annual Week of
Happiness, organized by the City Council of Schoemberg,
Germany, dated 18th to 25 July, 2010. The event which
included presentations on Gross National Happiness
and Showcasing our traditional The Tourism Council of
Bhutan Secretariat along with Centre for Bhutan Studies
and a local Cultural Troupe has participated in the First
Annual Week of Happiness, organized by the City Council
of Schoemberg, Germany, dated 18th to 25 July, 2010.
The event which included presentations on Gross National
Happiness and Showcasing our traditional
3
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter

iTB aSia:
The ITB-Asia held at the Suntec Singapore is a trade
show for the Asian Travel Market as Singapore being the
host destination of the Asian Edition of the ITB Berlin,
the world’s largest trade shows. ITB Asia had more than
6,000 delegates and 679 exhibitors from over 57 countries.
Singapore is the ideal location and platform since it is the
focal point for business and knowledge exchange on travel
in Asia, serving as a strategic node and financial business
hub in the Asia – Pacific and a key intersection between the
East and West.
Bhutan participated for the first time at this fair and was
led by the Tourism Council of Bhutan. The participation
comprised of a team of TCB officials, Hoteliers, Tour
Operators and Druk Air.
JaTa
An official from the Tourism Council of Bhutan
Secretariat led by Director General along with 10 tour
operators has participated in the Japanese Association of
travel Agents (JATA) World Travel Fair for 2010 that is
being held along with World Tourism Congress from 24th
– 26th September 2010 in Tokyo.
JATA World travel fair is both a trade fair featuring
dedicated day for exhibitors to meet one-on-one with the
Japanese travel trade and a consumer travel show where
destinations and supplier show case their travel offerings
and appeal directly to potential Japanese travelers. A total
of 699 exhibitors from 151 countries have participated in
the fair.
Besides participating in the fair, we met with premium
Japanese outbound tour operators with the objectives
of pushing them to promote and push sales to Bhutan
and also visited Tourism Information Centre based in
Kagoshima to monitor and to discuss how the promotion
office can help us to promote tourism.
The Centre is set up by Dr. Ryoichi Nagata, President
and CEO of Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories
Ltd (SNBL) and Honorary Counsel General through
diplomatic channels with the view of disseminating
information on Bhutan and Promotion of visitors
particularly from Japan, which is an important source of
market.
WOrld TOuriSm day:
“Tourism and biodiversity are closely intertwined.
Millions of people travel each year to experience nature’s
splendor. The income generated by sustainable
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter 4 Winter 2010

tourism can provide important support for nature
conservation, as well as for economic development.
Furthermore, sustainable tourism can help to raise
awareness among tourists and local communities of the
importance of biodiversity in our lives.”
Ban Ki Moon.
The Association of Bhutanese tour operators in
collaboration with TCBS and other stakeholders
celebrated World Tourism Day on 27th September,
2010 at clock tower square. The theme for this year was
‘Tourism and Biodiversity’ as the variety of life on earth
continues to decline at an unprecedented rate despite
repeated global pledge to protect the plant’s species and
habitat.
driglam namzha:
The Tourism Council of Bhutan Secretariat (TCBS)
organized Driglam Namzha course from 26th till 30th for
the guides to enhance their knowledge on culture, ethic
and traditional heritage of country. A good number of
enthusiastic guides attended the programme.
Renovation of rodhuphu guest house (transit camp) .
Winter 2010
Rodhuphu Guest House located between Laya and
Lunana under Gasa Dzongkhag, which was damaged
by windstorm in 2006, was renovated by the Tourism
Council of Bhutan.
COllaBOraTiOn WiTh
media perSOnnel:
With a lot of media interest in Bhutan a very cost
effective promotion for Bhutan has been the collaborative
venture with the tour operators in hosting media
personnel of various high end publications and TV
channels. The TCBS waives off royalty for such
media personnel with the tour operator providing local
hospitality. From July 2009 till June 2010 a total of 87
travel writers, photographers, film makers and other
media personnel representing 30 publications/TV/radio
channels from 16 countries have been hosted. This is an
ongoing effort by the TCBS to increase awareness and
promotion of Bhutan as a destination in target markets.
mOu BeTWeen The TCB and
miniSTry Of agriCulTure
and fOreSTry (mOaf)
A memorandum of understanding was signed between
the Ministry of Agriculture & Forests and the Tourism
Council of Bhutan to enter into a partnership to promote
responsible and sustainable tourism in the Protected Areas
and Government Reserve Forest lands.
The TCB and the MoAF came into an agreement,
appreciating the need to diversify and promote
sustainable tourism development. Both the parties
felt the importance of coordination and cooperation
between them to work together to accomplish the goals
of developing tourism products and activities that are
mutually beneficial and sustainable in the Protected Areas
and Government Reserve Funds. This is with the aim not
only to enhance economic benefits for the people, but
also to promote the protection of our culture and natural
heritage.
5
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter

laya gueST hOuSe
A guest house with ten rooms with two common toilets
and wash rooms at Laya under Gasa Dzongkhag has
been constructed to cater the travelers. In addition to the
above, two toilets and hot stone bath facilities are also
available. A sum of Nugltrum.300/- per person/ per night
will be charged during their stay.
Supply CreaTiOn
250 acres of land identified in East, Central and South
(Manas) areas for building resorts and other tourism
infrastructure.
The Royal Government of Bhutan has approved opening
of Merak and Sakten to tourists in principle and Tourism
Council of Bhutan (TCB) has been directed to ensure the
promotion of tourism in the areas keeping in mind the
following:
1. No adverse impact on the environment and unique
cultural values of the communities;
2. To determine maximum permissible numbers of the
tourist; and
3. Developing trekking routes and other facilities/
infrastructure
In accordance with the approval from the Royal
Government of Bhutan, officials from TCBS has made
several visits to these two regions to discuss ways to
increase community participation and the benefits from
tourism especially through community based tourism.
And as per the decision taken on 7th May, 2010 in the
meeting with Hon’ble Lyonchhen, the government has
given the approval for Merak and Sakteng with effect
from September, 2010.
Supply up gradaTiOn
hOrSe COnTraCTOr fOr merak & SakTen:
Chaling
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter 6 Winter 2010
S.No.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
1
2
Name Contact Number
Mr. Norbu
Mr. Nima Wangdi
Mr. Thinley Norbu
Mr. Sonam Norbu
Mr. Lobsang Dawa
Merak
Mr. Lam Rinchen
Mr. Tshering
Mr. Geyden
Sakten
Mr. Phurpa Wangdi
Mr. Sangay Dorji
17818596
17722363
17913835
17710864
17623945
17575724 / 7525746
17575869
17508377
04594611/17814202
4594623

lOCal guideS, BaSiC fOOd
prOduCTiOn and reSTauranT
ServiCe Training in merak and
SkaTing
With the opening of Merak and Sakteng from 1st September
2010, the Tourism Council of Bhutan Secretariat has trained 9
local guides and 38 participants attended basic food production
& Restaurant Service training in Merak and Sakteng for a
duration of two weeks.
Besides training on Local guides and Food Production,
tourism awareness for civil servants, armed forces, schools and
communities at Merak and Sakteng was carried out.
Participants for Food Production training in Sakteng
parTiCipanTS fOr fOOd
prOduCTiOn Training in
merak
The food production training in Merak and Sakteng attempted
to focus as much as possible on locally available ingredients in
the food preparation. The participants were trained in over 40
dishes.
Winter 2010
lOCal guide TraineeS fOr merak &
SakTeng
A guides training for 9 participants from Merak and Sakteng
was carried out for duration of 2 weeks with a trainer and local
resources persons from the locality. The participants were
trained on following grounds;
► Definition of Tourism/Tourism in Bhutan
► Trekking rules in Bhutan
► Community based tourism in Bhutan
► Planning and preparation for tours/trek
Omelete Cucumber salad Ant climbing tree
► Receiving the clients and briefing the clients
► Presentation skills and techniques
► Outdoor living skills and mountain travel
► Leadership skills
► Teamwork
► Campsite/waste management
► First Aid
drukpaTh Trek rOuTe
mainTenanCe
The Tourism Council of Bhutan Secretariat (TCBS) has carried
out the construction and maintenance/renovation of Drukpath
trek route, maintenance of trails, extension of campsites,
clearing of bushes, construction of water tanks from Jele Dzong
till Phajoding. Designated campsites were developed and water
tanks have been constructed at Jele Dzong, Jangchulakha,
Tshokhorna, Labana and Phajodhing campsites. The
construction work was carried out at a cost of Nu 6, 35,000 (Six
lakhs thirty five thousand). The trekking groups can now camp
at any of the designated campsites.
Water tank constructed at Jele Dzong
7
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter

BhuTan- Tiger COrridOr
A team of big cat experts and wildlife filmmakers
recently made a documentary as they embarked
upon a dramatic expedition searching for tigers
hidden in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.
“The significance of finding tigers living so high in
Bhutan is that it means that huge areas of Himalayas,
that people didn’t think were natural places for tigers
to live, can now be included in the tiger corridor,”
says Jonny Keeling, the BBC producer of the
documentary who helped track and film the big cats.
Meanwhile, the BBC1’s first of its three “natural
history series called” the Lost Land of the Tiger saw
more than five million viewers on September 21.
upCOming evenTS
A high level Seminar on Mainstreaming Tourism is
to be held on 12th January, 2011 wherein we will be
having Mr.Kesang Wangdi, Director General of the
Tourism Council of Bhutan, Dr, Taleb Rifai, sectary
General of UNWTO, Dr. Victor Wee, Chairman
of Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Ministers
and senior government officials participating in it.
The seminar is organized by UNWTO and Tourism
Council of Bhutan.
The Fourth meeting of the SAARC Tourism Working
Group and third meeting of the SAARC Tourism
Ministers will be held in Kathmandu., Nepal on 12th
and 13th of January, 2011 respectively. A team of
delegates led by Honorable Tengye Lyonpo Khandu
Wangchuk will be attending this meeting.
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter 8 Winter 2010

TCBS, TOur OperaTOrS and
hOTelier aT BTTf
With the grand success of the BTTF 2009, Tour
operators association of Bangladesh (TOAB)
organized the 3rd Bangladesh Travel and Tourism
Fair 2009, the country’s biggest travel fair and
tourism trade event, from 30September - 3 October
2010. The event was held at the Bangabandhu
International Conference Centre, Sher-e- Bangla
Nagar, Dhaka.
As part of the international fair, TOAB has arranged
seminars, press conferences and cultural shows. The
participants and exhibitors, other than the industries
concerned of Bangladesh, were representatives from
Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam,
Singapore etc.
viSiT CrafT Bazaar (every
TueSday and WedneSday)
Imitative of the Department of Cottage and Small
Industry in collaboration with the Tourism Council
of Bhutan Secretariat, Department of Culture and the
Department of Agriculture Marketing &
Co-operatives.
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 07:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM – 01:00 PM
The TOuriSm STakehOlderS
meeTS fOr The 2nd Time
A town-hall consultative
meeting with tourism
stakeholders was organized
by the Tourism Council of
Bhutan Secretariat to discuss
and update the stakeholders
on the various tourism
initiatives being undertaken.
Winter 2010
This consultative meeting is being held as per
the government directives to hold consultative
meetings bi-annually with the stakeholders to
update them on the progress.
The Royal Government’s initiative on
Accelerating Bhutan’s Economic Development to
significantly improve social and economic growth
over the 10th plan period includes tourism as one
of the priority sectors. The tourism initiatives
is specifically aimed at generating employment
for 25,000 and contribute to 15.0% of the total
country’s GDP by the end of 2013.
To this end, the Tourism Council of Bhutan
Secretariat has had various consultative meetings
with different stakeholders to identify ways to
create an enabling environment to improve the
industry. The meeting, besides updating the
industry on the progress of the initiatives was
also to discuss issues and find ways and means of
resolving them. It was also to get feedback from
the industry to be put up to the government if
required.
The meeting was attended by a wide
representation of the industry and included
representatives from the Association of Bhutanese
Tour Operators (ABTO), Hotel Association of
Bhutan (HAB), Handicrafts Association of Bhutan
(HAB) and Guides Association of Bhutan (GAB).
It has been a fruitful meeting, where the private
sector representatives presented their views which
were duly noted and clarifications provided.
9
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter

Some of the issues that were
discussed pertained to:
01. Tax incentives for hotels
02. Skilled labour especially Chef, Mangers and
Laundry personnel.
03. Guide Commission
04. Bad debts of the hoteliers
05. FDI
06. Opening of Manas
07. Duty free cars for hotels.
08. Rest areas
09. Hotel star rating
10. Tax holidays for the hoteliers
11. Negative lists, permit and timings for
Dzongs and Lhakhangs.
Cleanup Campaign
Cleanup campaign organized by the Tourism Council of Bhutan
(TCB) in Chelila was held from 25th to 26th June. All the
members of Council participated in the campaign.
With the objective clean and green Bhutan, all the members
spend a night at Jangkakha traditionally known as birthday
celebration place of Aap Chundu (local deity of Haa).
WOrld Travel marT 2010
Two officials from Tourism Council of Bhutan, Mr Tandin
Jamtsho,CEO of Druk air and nine tour operators participated
in the 2010 World Trade Mart, held on November 8th –
11,2010.
Marketing proposals from several PR agencies were received
whereby we got the advantage to select the right company.
Also met the Partner Concept team and discussed about the
upcoming road show. It was suggested to organize a reception
with the help of PR companies based in UK and call up the
travel and tour operators and media personnel of Europe as it
is of no use sitting in the stand the entire time since WTM is a
B2B.
Editor’s note:
Thank you for reading this issue’s Tourism
council of Bhutan Newsletter. I hope you
enjoyed it. Winter is finally here!! With tons
of winter festivals happening all over the
prefecture, it is tempting to visit every one of
them.
Whether you’re already living in Bhutan or is
currently living somewhere outside the country,
I would like to thank each and every one of
you for supporting our newsletter. Please don’t
hesitate to contact us and let us know what we
can do to continue improving. Thanks again,
and we’ll see you on the next issue!
-Jamyang Choden
Editor
Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter 10 Winter 2010

annOunCemenT columN
amendmenTS TO The duraTiOn diSCOunT
1. The existing duration discount from the 9th night has
been enhanced to 50% of Royalty (US$ 32.5/27.5)
2. The full Royalty will be waived from the 15th night up to
the maximum duration permissible as per the Immigration
act 2006
3. Only one discount can be availed at one time
4. The amendment will come into effect from 1st August 2010
Tariff Revision
lOW SeaSOn diSCOunT
• The low season discount presently existing for the months
of January, June and July will be discontinued to promote
Bhutan as an “all-year-round” destination with effect from
1st July 2011
rOyalTy fOr Children
• To encourage family trips, royalty for children below
12 years will be waived off. The age of the children will be
verified from their passport and should be below 12 years at
the time of their visit. With effect from 1st July 2011
Tariff Revision
• The tariff would be revised to US$ 250/- per night with
equivalent service to be provided (e.g. entrance to attrac
tions, cultural show etc). Changes to the package construct
and any additional mandatory service will be communi
cated at a later date with sufficient notice to the industry.
With effect from 1st January 2012 in line with mandatory
implementation of minimum standards especially minimum
3 star accomodatio to be provided.
agenT COmmiSSiOn
• Agent commission of 10% to continue as part of the
minimum mandated floor price of US$ 250/-
FIT Surcharge
• The surcharge will continue as per existing regulations
iTinerary
A detailed itinerary must be agreed upon in advance and
communicated. Changes in the itinerary must be mutually
agreed with the clients and informed to be secretariat, TCB.
Iformation on transfers should also be clearly communi
cated in the itinerary.
aCCOmmOdaTiOn
• Type of accommodation and star rating being provided
must be communicated to the clients. Basic information with
Winter 2010
the level of services must also be communicated for other
categories of accommodation such as lodges, farm stays or
community lodges. If required photographs of establishment
must be provided.
guide ServiCeS
Only certified guide are to be provided to the clients and in
the future the level of guide must also be indicated. Special
qualification such as foreign language skills, expert knowledge
in specific fields must also be communicated. As far as possible
the name, photograph and guide license copy of the guide
accompanying the client(s) should be provided prior to the visit
meal plan
Since the package is all inclusive, clear information on meals
should be provided taking into consideration the areas being
visited as per the agreed itinerary.
Breakfast: American/English, Continental, Regional or local
Lunch: Picnic, Buffet/Set or A la carte with provision for
specific request such as vegan, vegetarian etc. Indication of the
number of courses must be given for each of the above types.
Dinner: Buffet/Set or A la carte with provision for specific
request such as vegan, vegetarian etc. indication of number of
courses must be given for each of the above types.
Information on other dining options especially in the urban
areas must also be provided and provision should be made for
clients to eat out on their own. In such cases, arrangement must
be made with a number of restaurants to pay for the food (up to
certain limit) by the tour operator as part of the package.
TranSpOrT
The type of transport being provided must also be indicated, in
terms of make, model and capacity. The vehicle must be driven
by a licensed driver/chauffer and must have comprehensive
insurance
exTraS
• Any additional services and entrance fees if provided
Cancellation Policy
• The tour operations regulations (Being revised) provide a
guideline for cancellation but tour operators must develop
their
own cancellation policy and inform and agree with their
clients prior to their visit.
11 Tourism Council of Bhutan Newsletter

Enquiries and feedback maybe sent to
The Marketing and Promotion Division
Tourism Council of Bhutan
Post Box 126
Thimphu
Phone +975-2-326951, 323252
Fax: +975-2-323695
Email: dot@tourism.gov.bt
www.tourism.gov.bt