Responsible tourism in Bhutan

Tourism is still pretty new to Bhutan; the Bhutanese were and still are very much an agrarian mountain people with one foot planted in their deeply spiritual past, so it’s imperative to visit this otherworldly kingdom with a sensitive and open mind informing all aspects of your trip.

If you find yourself holding your phone up searching for a signal, think again. There was no television here before 1999 and the country’s progress is measured by Gross National Happiness as opposed to GDP, an approach once considered a global anomaly, but that has since seen the UN sit up and take note.

To understand responsible tourism in Bhutan is to get the most out of your experience travelling here. It’s an entirely different world and our behaviour there will be the image that local people keep of us. It costs nothing to be patient, ask questions and show as much support for the local culture as you can, so travel with respect and the Bhutanese will return it by the bucketload.

The doors to Bhutan have opened very slowly, relative to other Asian destinations, and people visiting the country now will still be among the few that have. It is a deeply insular kingdom, unaccustomed to any culture other than its own and therefore relatively unprepared or, more accurately, underprepared for tourism. But that is the very point. Although from a typical western standpoint development might look retarded by several decades, the speed at which the country is playing catch up has come under the spotlight.

Certainly, under the rule of its western educated young King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, change will happen, but the odd internet cafe or nightclub that has popped up in urban areas of Bhutan is not going to ruin centuries of deep rooted culture. As tourists, though, we have a huge responsibility not to expect modern trappings and to act in accordance with what the country does have rather than highlight what it does not.

What can you do?

Come prepared. Far more enlightening than it is complex, Bhutan, past and present, is an engaging and insightful topic to read up on. Speak to anyone you know who has been there and have a look at our Bhutan reviews to gauge a clear understanding of the cultural, spiritual and political beliefs of the Bhutanese and how best you can slot seamlessly into their home.

Confusingly, the $250 daily traveller tariff (reduced to $200 in Jan, Feb, Jun, July, Aug and Dec) you’ll need to pay to visit Bhutan is often referred to as a tax. It isn’t a tax; it’s an entry fee – a minimum amount you will need to spend on your trip to enter Bhutan, including tax, visa, lodging, food, guide and travel within the country. You can’t spend less than that rate, but you can spend far more if you opt for ‘5* properties’ over more authentic, rural accommodation options.

And so the myth that Bhutan is hugely expensive perpetuates. What the country is trying to achieve – and is managing to achieve – is not just a high value tourism model, but a low impact one too: charge people a substantial amount of money to enter and you won’t have hordes of them, so you won’t damage what’s precious about the place. Once tourist destinations become overdeveloped and exploited we no longer want to go there; we all want to go to unspoilt places and there’s a great irony in that, but it’s an irony that Bhutan understands and is striving to control.

The tourism policy in place was designed to protect and share the country’s incredible landscape with tourists while keeping it special for the locals too, a point that supports their pioneering philosophy of Gross National Happiness, so the question that remains is whether the income from tourism, which is substantial, is spread widely enough? When you have a small number of tourists in very defined areas the risk with their strategy is that the benefits of tourism will not be widely felt, but $65 out of every $250 fee goes towards funding the free education and healthcare that the Bhutanese government provides for its citizens and although about 30% of the rural population live under the poverty line, you don’t see beggars, slums or homelessness, so they must be doing something right.

The line of thought on Bhutan’s tourism model could run and run – is it sustainable? Probably. But it’s also relatively fledgling. Does it defy global economic sensibility? Probably. But the Bhutanese are not conventional. It might not be the right approach for every destination, but it seems to be the right one for them.

What can we do?

Put simply, visitors to Bhutan pay $250 a day because they know they cannot buy the same environment and culture anywhere else, at any price. Just as we hope Bhutan will not become blinded by the tourist dollar, so we must not be lured by the promise of ‘luxury’ in some of the country’s less sustainable, starred hotels. Make sure your money stays in local hands: stay in log cabins, homestays or heritage properties, use local guides, ask your guide where you can eat locally (they’re often more than happy to swerve an itinerary item in favour of this if you ask politely), shop in local food markets, buy genuine handicrafts, and ask your guide about worthwhile tourism projects that you can visit and get involved in.

• Though no one will ever ask, a small donation to the monastery or dzong that you’re visiting will be much appreciated. Donations support the operations of the day: the cost of butter lamps and incense specifically. Place your donation on the altar, or if you want to make a specific donation intended to help pay for the monks food, clothing and transportation, look for a donation box or speak to your guide and explain that you want to make a donation for this purpose.
• The Bhutanese are a very calm and contemplative people. You may find yourself in social situations that are completely out of your western comfort zone, but it is important to remember that the locals exercise discretion in expressing their feelings, anger and affection towards each other. If you don’t understand something, ask quietly and be patient.
• Think before you take pictures. It’s easy to get snap-happy when presented with Bhutan’s incredible landscape and lifestyle, but some Bhutanese do not like to be photographed because they believe that photos and videos contain part of the soul that could then be used for black magic. Remember, this may be your trip of a lifetime, but it’s their reality, so introduce yourself and ask permission. Whenever possible, it is good idea to ask for a postal address and follow through by sending photographs back to local families.

Photo credits: [People: rajkumar1220] [Taking photos: Aditya Karnad]