tourism and hospitality management in bhutan

NEWS AND UPDATES

1. Admission for Diploma of Tourism and Hospitality will start from 25th April- 8th May 2024
2. Mid-term exam for term II and final exam for term IV will start from 25th April.
3. 13th batch students currently in term IV will be going for internship at various tourism company and hotels from 6th May 2024

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Know us better.

Bhutan Institute of Tourism and Hospitality is a new establishment within the Dewachen Group of Hotels. The institute was established with the objective to meet the demand of the global hospitality and tourism Industry with qualified human capital by offering high-quality Vocational Education fostering the international standards.

The institute with most experienced and dedicated resources combined with state of art facilities, located in historic place is ideal medium to realize your dreams in hospitality and tourism career.

The Institute offers intensive and comprehensive courses blended with practical and academic modules to align with the skills and knowledge required by the industry.

To be globally recognized as the leading hospitality and tourism training institute in the region, and to be the anchor of transformational education for a thriving hospitality and tourism industry leading to enhanced quality of life.

Our Mission

To develop world class professionals, leaders and entrepreneurs in tourism and hospitality industry focusing on global and local demands of the industry and in the process create meaningful career opportunities, as well as contribute to enhance the country’s overall competitiveness towards the achievement of sustainable tourism development.

Our core Values

In pursuit of its vision and mission, the Institute will at all times be guided by the following core values:

We strive to meet the highest standards of the tourism and hospitality industry. We are committed to improving on the range of courses on offer, the quality of our team and graduates as well the standards of service offered to our partners.

We are committed to the highest standards of respect, honesty, accountability and professionalism. We expect the conduct of our team and trainees to be based on mutual trust and respect and driven by the highest ethical standards.

We value teamwork as an integral approach in bringing together a range of talents for informed decision-making and collaborative action. We believe in the sharing of knowledge and experience and supporting our team and trainees to reach their full potential.

We are committed to offering the highest standards of service to our team, trainees and partners. In doing so, we aim to operate as the training institution of choice for prospective Trainees & Partners.

We embrace the diversity of team and trainees and value their necessity in the creation of an environment that is safe, supportive and welcoming. We also strive for diversity in our curriculum and service on offer to our Trainees & Partners.

We are committed to fostering the personal and professional growth of team and trainees by promoting lifelong learning and leadership development in all our endeavours.

Partnerships

We work with local and international partners in the tourism and hospitality industry to improve on the quality of training and service we offer to trainees. We value their contribution in helping BITH achieve its vision, mission and strategic goals.

We treat individuals with respect by celebrating, valuing and caring for people and the environment.

Quality Objective

BITH management is committed to sustaining its mandate of training qualified professionals for the hospitality and tourism industry.

The management also commits itself to enhancing its research and consultancy services for the continued advancements of the hospitality & tourism sector.

In addition, the management will ensure compliance with the requirements of the Quality Management Systems and undertake continuous review, so as to meet the demands of the changing hospitality and tourism industry.

Guaranteed Employment within and overseas
Recognized Qualifications which are valued in the industry
Hands-on experience gained through internships
Industry Experienced Faculty and guest lectures

WHY HOSPITALITY

Fast growing industry with high demand for human capital
Travel the world and start career in some of the luxurious and adventurous location
Fast paced career which provides unique experience and ability to climb the ladder faster than anywhere.

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NEWS AND UPDATES

1. Admission for Diploma of Tourism and Hospitality will start from 25th April- 8th May 2024
2. Mid-term exam for term II and final exam for term IV will start from 25th April.
3. 13th batch students currently in term IV will be going for internship at various tourism company and hotels from 6th May 2024

How Bhutan aims to balance economy and environment through tourism

Bhutan is already 72% carbon negative, meaning it absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces. Image: Pexels/Soonam Wooeser

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A hand holding a looking glass by a lake

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Stay up to date:, travel and tourism.

Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan kingdom known for its pristine environment and sustainable development, will cap tourist numbers at 200,000 a year from 2023 to protect its natural resources and fight climate change.
The move is part of the country's efforts to become carbon neutral by 2025.
Bhutan is already 72% carbon negative, meaning it absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces.
The government said the cap would be enforced through a quota system, with each tourist paying a daily fee of $250. The money will be used to fund conservation and development projects.

In the scenic Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, cleaning squads patrol forests and mountain trails on the lookout for litter left behind by tourists, removing empty water bottles and crisp packets stuck in bushes and trees.

The money to run these teams comes from a tourist tax Bhutan has levied for decades to avoid over-tourism and preserve its status as South Asia’s only carbon-negative country - meaning it absorbs more emissions than it produces annually.

Bhutan halved the daily “Sustainable Development Fee” (SDF) - to $100 - last week as it strives to strike a balance between supporting the local economy and jobs, and protecting nature and the environment in the face of worsening climate change impacts.

Under the country’s principle of “high-value, low-volume” tourism, Bhutanese officials told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that the tax goes towards upgrading infrastructure, preserving natural and cultural treasures, and investing in electric transport to cut fossil fuel dependency.

While the tiny country of fewer than 800,000 people is currently in the spotlight, it is far from alone in this regard.

A 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found we have until 2030 – just 11 more years – to avert climate change.

The run-up to 2020 is a crucial period for delivering sufficient climate action to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as countries move to expand their climate commitments.

To help meet this global challenge, the World Economic Forum's 2019 Sustainable Development Impact summit has made Accelerating Climate Action one of four focus areas.

Following the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit this month, this meeting will bring together stakeholders to cap global warming at 1.5°C through innovative partnerships and smart technologies. The action areas include heavy industries and transport, energy innovation, nature-based climate solutions, restoring ocean health and the role cities, among others.

As nations globally seek to revitalise their tourism sectors after the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing debate about how best to attract more visitors and boost revenues without causing overcrowding and fuelling pollution and harm to the environment.

Sustainability experts said the traditional approach of evaluating tourism through visitor numbers alone was outdated and damaging to the sector, and urged governments to consider ways of welcoming people for longer and more-considered stays.

“(A) sustainability fee is one of the ways to ensure a destination does not degrade,” said C.B. Ramkumar, vice chairman of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, a U.S.-based non-profit. “It is a good tool for conservation.”

While many countries and cities have some form of tourist tax, few places have followed Bhutan’s lead in ensuring that the cash goes towards conservation or sustainability efforts.

New Zealand in 2019 introduced a NZ$35 ($21) tourist tax to fund conservation and infrastructure projects, while Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali is to impose a 150,000 rupiah ($10) fee from 2024 to help preserve its culture and environment.

Using the tourist tax to boost conservation efforts

Tourism is responsible for around 8-11% of global greenhouse gas emissions - mostly due to transportation - according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), an international forum.

It is also among the most vulnerable sectors to the impacts of climate change, with researchers citing soaring temperatures and rising sea levels that can affect visitor numbers.

For example, about 20,000 foreign tourists were evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes in July, where a wildfire burned resorts and hotels. Greece has said it will offer a week’s free stay on Rhodes in 2024 to visitors whose vacation was cut short.

Overall, demand for eco-friendly tourism is growing, yet very few people are willing to pay more for sustainable travel, according to recent studies and warnings from sector executives.

In Bhutan, the SDF has been revised over the years - with discounts available for visitors making longer trips.

When Bhutan reopened to tourists in September 2022 after more than two years of COVID-19 closure, it raised the tax to $200 from the $65 it had charged for about three decades - saying the money would offset the carbon generated by visitors.

This fee hike, coupled with the pandemic’s impact, hit tourist numbers and resulted in losses for tour operators, hotel owners, and handicraft and souvenir shops in the country.

Bhutan welcomed nearly 60,000 tourists between January and August this year, earning the nation $13.5 million in revenue from the SDF, according to government data.

In 2019, before the pandemic, there were about 316,000 tourists, generating $88.6 million in SDF revenue.

When Bhutan announced the SDF reduction this month, the government said the move aimed to revive the tourism sector, generate employment, and earn the country foreign exchange.

Bhutan plans to lift tourism’s contribution to its $3-billion economy to 20% from about 5% now - yet no time-frame has been set.

Dorji Dhradhul, the director general of Bhutan’s tourism department, said the tourist tax is vital to stepping up the nation’s conservation efforts as it faces climate change threats of melting glaciers and ever-more unpredictable weather.

The SDF has led the country to explore “solutions to balance its revered ecological conservation practices with socio-economic progress”, Dhradhul said by email.

The tax funds free healthcare and education for the country’s citizens and is used to offset the carbon footprint of visitors by planting trees, cleaning and maintaining trails, and electrifying Bhutan’s transportation sector, Dhradhul said.

“Our future requires us to protect our heritage and forge fresh pathways for forthcoming generations,” he said.

Bhutan’s “carbon negative” approach began in the 1970s, when its then-king pushed for an economy built in part on sustainable forest management - balancing conservation and development.

Its forests absorb more than 9 million tonnes of carbon each year, while its economy, which is designed to cut fossil fuel use and waste, emits less than 4 million tonnes, Dhradhul said.

Have you read?

3 ways hotels and tourists can work together to decarbonize travel, how global tourism can be more sustainable, how bhutan could provide the blueprint for climate-smart forest economies, what can bhutan teach the world about climate action, tour operators and local businesses fear for future.

Bhutan has long been a prime holiday destination for Indian travellers in particular. Entry for Indians had been free until 2022, when a daily tax of 1,200 rupees ($14.50) was introduced.

Mumbai-based tour operator Rakesh Kalyani has a longstanding collaboration with hoteliers in Bhutan, and said he was not surprised by the move to impose a tax on Indian tourists.

“Tourists littered, someone even climbed a stupa (Buddhist shrine) and took pictures. How do you stop that?” asked Kalyani, who said he now has no bookings for Bhutan with many clients instead preferring to visit nearby northeastern Indian states.

The fee for Indian tourists will remain in place for at least another two years as Bhutan prioritises the wellbeing of its environment, culture and people over “quantity in tourism”, according to Dhradhul.

As more and more places worldwide consider tourist taxes, they run the risk of excluding those seeking affordable travel.

“They want to preserve their culture, but not everyone is able to travel now,” said Arjun Verma, who runs Bhutan Divine Tour agency in Siliguri, a district in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, which serves as the country’s gateway to Bhutan.

“As tour operators, we are facing a lot of problems.”

In Bhutan, Jigme Tshering, chairman of the Hotel and Restaurant Association, a national federation, said that while the SDF was aligned with the country’s vision of sustainability, it also posed challenges in terms of “the impact on businesses”.

He said he hoped the reduced tax will help the tourism industry grow at a faster pace than in previous months - a view echoed by local businesses seeking more customers and income.

In Bhutan’s Paro, the picturesque valley home to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery, handicraft shop owner Tashi Lhamo said she had cut down spending on family holidays and new clothes due to the loss in business over the past year as tourist numbers dropped.

“Most of our customers are Asians and few are from the United States,” Lhamo said in a phone interview.

“But I am hopeful for more international tourists to come now that they have reduced the SDF. Indians buy small items, but our main business comes from international tourists,” she added.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Study motivations of Bhutanese students in hospitality and tourism courses

Journal of Trade Science

ISSN : 2815-5793

Article publication date: 3 January 2024

Issue publication date: 18 March 2024

The main purpose of this article is to understand the motivations for Bhutanese students to study hospitality and tourism courses. The second objective is to analyse what countries are the preferred destinations for study abroad and visitation for students. This includes focussing on new course topic areas such as sustainability for business in hospitality and tourism courses.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative methodology approach was undertaken with two surveys administered to the first and second student intakes into the Bhutan Middle Management Hotel Program. Motivational and reasoned action theory form the basis of the theoretical framework to understand behavioural intentions regarding educational choices in hospitality and tourism courses.

The results of the surveys indicate that the main motivations to study hospitality and tourism are for attraction, career opportunities, status, broader benefits and aptitude. In addition, it was found that students studying hospitality and tourism in Bhutan are likely to stay in the sector for a long period of time thereby contributing to the economic and social development of Bhutan. Moreover, it was found that the United Nations Sustainable Development goals are increasingly being integrated into the tourism and hospitality sector, which is influencing students to study these topic areas.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study will help government and hospitality providers support educational training programs by focussing on new education topic areas. This study is limited to Bhutan.

Practical implications

The results of this study will help government and hospitality providers support educational training programs by focussing on new education topic areas such as sustainability for business management. This will enable hospitality and tourism providers in Bhutan to update their curriculum and to focus on emerging industry needs.

Originality/value

This is amongst the first studies on Bhutanese students motivations for studying hospitality and tourism. It will provide practical and policy advise about how to train workers in order to become less reliant on foreign training providers and the importance of integrating sustainability topics in course design.

Hospitality
Student satisfaction
Sustainable development

Strickland, P.C. and Ratten, V. (2024), "Study motivations of Bhutanese students in hospitality and tourism courses", Journal of Trade Science , Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 22-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTS-10-2023-0023

Emerald Publishing Limited

Published in Journal of Trade Science . This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

The importance of the hospitality and tourism industry cannot be underestimated as it significantly contributes to the global economy and sustainable development of developing countries such as Bhutan ( Strickland, 2019 ). From this, there is a need to understand student motivations to study hospitality and tourism courses and future employment opportunities.

Based on research conducted by Kim et al . (2005) into study motivations and study preferences of hospitality and tourism management students (hereafter, HTM) in Asian countries, namely China, Taiwan and Korea, this study will be applied to Bhutanese students. Kim et al .'s (2005) research has been used in other studies ( Strickland, 2011 ). This type of research is important as Bhutan has only recently (compared to other nations), opened their borders to other cultures and influences ( Dam et al ., 2021 ) and started a recognised tourism and hospitality program. Bhutan was culturally isolated until the 1960s but change was instigated after a change in government policy ( Bauer et al ., 1999 ; Dasgupta and Vogelaar, 2022 ). For example, in 1974 Bhutan joined the United Nations satisfying the desire to join the international community. This strategic move allowed foreign aid into the country which is paramount for Bhutan to modernise and make greater steps to increase the standard of living of the people ( Das, 1995 ; Bauer et al ., 1999 ; Odier, 2004 ). It also allowed for increased tourism development and further education ( Abu Bakar et al ., 2023 ).

The country of Bhutan is known as the Kingdom of Bhutan and is located in the Eastern Himalayas ( Rahul, 1997 ). It is a landlocked country and shares its borders with China and India ( Odier, 2004 ; Ritchie, 2008 ). The Bhutanese people have a unique cultural and religion heritage that has not much changed since King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck started to modernise the country ( Worden, 1993 ; Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2007 ). This process has continued and under the guidance of the fourth and fifth king, the country is rapidly changing allowing modern facilities such as television, the Internet and mobile phones to be introduced in the last decade ( Planning Commission, 1999 ; Bauer et al ., 1999 ; Ritchie, 2008 ).

Dubbed the only remaining Lamaist Kingdom, Bhutan also has a philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) implemented by the fourth ruler in the year 2000 to increase happiness and satisfaction of the people, rather than just focus on monetary value or gain ( Sinha, 1991 ; Bauer et al ., 1999 ; Ritchie, 2008 ). Happiness is a key cultural factor that has flow on effects in terms of helping meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the population ( Ministry of Finance, 2000 ). The current population of Bhutan is 789,171 making it one of the smallest countries in the world ( Worldometers, 2023 ). This has required the introduction of educational programs such as the Bhutan Middle Management Hotel Program (BMMHP) to train current middle to senior managers in effectively operating hotels at an internationally recognised service standard, minimising potential environmental impacts and waste management whilst maintaining cultural integrity. This will create employment for the Bhutanese people and minority communities and Bhutan will gradually become less reliant on foreign managers and teachers ( Du, 2003 ).

These educational initiatives and development strategies are aimed at creating a skilled labour force ( Karan, 1990 ; Andaya, 2007 , Bauer et al ., 1999 ). The overall objective is to eventually remove the title of a “developing country” and for Bhutan to be self-sufficient ( Bauer et al ., 1999 ). Education is seen as a high priority and paramount to increasing the standard of living of the people. Research by Salamzadeh et al . (2022) has highlighted the need to develop new teaching practices for students based on emerging technology. Education starts in primary school and continues for the next eleven years all subsidised by the Bhutanese government ( Worden, 1993 ). To move forward and also protect the Bhutanese culture, the schools teach in the national language Dzongkha and English. However, there are at least another twenty-four Bhutanese dialects spoken depending on the province and Nepali in the north ( van Driem, 1994 ; SAARC Tourism, 2010 ).

Having a quest for professional education, tertiary education is available in some disciplines, but the Bhutanese usually travel and study in other countries through foreign aid, sponsorship and friendship alliances with mainly India and western countries ( Basu, 1996 ). This is because they do not have the necessary qualified educators ( Ford, 1989 , Bauer et al ., 1999 ). Teaching institutions such as the Royal Institute of Management (RIM) were formed to offer professional programs in the capital Thimphu ( Bauer et al ., 1999 ) and more recently the Royal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (RITH). Increasingly educational institutions are prioritising the inclusion of technology related learning methods as a way of enhancing the competitiveness of a region ( Dana et al ., 2021 ).

Bhutan is keen to expand its tourism sector as it contributes to the country’s gross domestic product. This has led to tourism bring in social change and greater wealth for the country ( Worden, 1993 ; Bauer et al ., 1999 ). Careful planning is involved to control the growth of tourism, including limiting tourists numbers and controlling the construction of hotels and tourist attractions ( Karan, 1990 ). The government will only allow tourists to stay in government sanctioned hotels ( Bauer et al. , 1999 ) but in the last decade, an increase in tourist visas issued and consequently more hotels have been built. This is similar to China’s tourism policy initiated in 1978 ( Zhao, 1991 ). It is expected that the Royal Government of Bhutan will issue up to 100,000 tourists visa in 2014 and achieved this at the fifth king’s coronation.

It is assumed that exposure to other cultures, countries and hotel management practices' will have an impact on the students enrolled in the program. In developing countries governments are focussing on education as a way to alleviate poverty and to enhance employment prospects ( Rahman et al ., 2022 ). As the government is striving to increase professional development of the workers in the tourism and hospitality industry, the program assumes that the Bhutanese will stay in Bhutan after graduation however no studies regarding student expectations has ever been undertaken. This study therefore aims to identify Bhutanese student expectations and any similarities and/or differences in perceptions between these students and those in other Asian nations studying tourism and hospitality.

By undertaking a study based on motivations and study preferences of HTM students in Bhutan, the results can be compared to the findings of Kim et al . (2005) based on geographic location, culture, beliefs or ethnic groups ( Airey and Frontistis, 1997 ; Cothran and Combrink, 1999 ). There have been a number of studies investigating similar motivations in western countries ( Rudall et al ., 1996 ; Davidson, 1997 ; Barron, 1998 ; O’Mahony et al ., 2001 ; Jenkins, 2001 ), which have been well documented in identifying potential HTM students and their motivations for study and their expectations following graduation. Such studies have interested stakeholders such as the hospitality industry, government and educational institutions ( Barron, 2002b ). Similar organisations may be interested in Bhutan especially for future enrolments in the program.

Literature review

As previously mentioned, there have been many studies that have focused on HTM courses, motivations for studying HTM, studying abroad and their experiences ( Ross, 1994 ; Purcell and Quinn, 1996 ; Formica, 1996 ; Barron, 2002a , b ). Many of these have focused on Asian countries, namely China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand ( Adams and Chapman, 1998 ). Other Asian studies have extended to include countries such as Kygyz, Nepal, Pakistan and Philippines ( Adams and Chapman, 1998 ). Similar motivational studies have been researched in western countries ( Formica, 1996 ; Airey and Frontistis, 1997 ; Christou, 1998 ; Barron, 2002a ). However, these studies are beyond the scope of this paper.

This paper is interested in investigating HTM courses, motivations to study and graduate expectations of students currently studying in Bhutan. There has been no earlier study undertaken in this field. This is because the first ever HTM course was only introduced to the Kingdom of Bhutan in 2009. The two student intakes will graduate with a Diploma in Hospitality Management recognised by the Bhutanese government. At present, the course relies on foreign aid to operate, however the RITH having been opened in 2012, the aim is to eventually be self-sufficient. Technology has also advanced at a rapid rate adding to educational tools ( Cho et al ., 2002 ). This will assist in the continuance of HTM programs in Bhutan for Bhutanese nationals.

Although hotels are currently operating in Bhutan with at least five more in the construction phase, it was identified that formal HTM qualifications are necessary to address industry concerns such as the expectations of guests (in particular international tourists), sustainability, waste management and the hygiene practices of hoteliers ( Keller, 2008 ; Ritchie, 2008 ). The course is designed in the context of co-operative education meaning experiential learning in a classroom setting and coupled with planned, paid and supervised industry work. This teaching method should produce graduates who have realistic expectations of the workforce and longevity in the industry ( Garavan and Murphy, 2001 ) although this has not been researched.

Woodley et al . (1987) suggests that motivational theories are of great interest in education as they can effectively uncover reasons for undertaking formal studies. In HTM education, it is often assumed that students are attracted to programs primarily for vocational outcomes including skilled roles and/or management outcomes ( Raybould and Wilkins, 2006 ). However, other studies have taken different approaches to understanding the effect of attitudes on behaviour. The reasoned action approach ( Ajzen and Fishbein, 2007 ) is the process whereby behavioural intentions are assumed to stem from beliefs and be reasonably consistent. The focus on reasoning means that students consider different alternatives in their decision to study certain topics. These reasons then influence their behavioural intentions in terms of how, when and why they study HTM. This is also evidenced in Kim et al .’s (2005) paper based on student motivations to study HTM in China, Taiwan and Korea. As Bhutan is a country situated in Asia, this paper compares the outcomes to Kim et al .’s (2005) findings.

Further details pertaining to Table 1 are in the results section. Using the methods undertaken by a number of other studies asserts the effectiveness therefore no need to create a new method of data collection ( Posavac, 2002 ; Newman et al ., 2004 ; Walker, 2008 ). In a business context, using similar methods can be seen as the transfer of knowledge and is also well received as a legitimate business practise in HTM ( Winter and Szulanski, 2001 ; Brock and Yaniv, 2007 ). Using similar methods to compare results under the same conditions as Kim et al . (2005) research will allow the data to be comparable and add to the reliability and validity of the data ( Scott and Morrison, 2007 ).

Highlighted in the literature review methods used in other studies is deemed an effective solution to compare the Bhutanese responses with other studies. After securing permission to administer the questionnaire all enrolled students were able to complete the survey in English. The author was working in the institution therefore access to the students was easily obtained. Two surveys were administered to the first and second student intakes into the BMMHP.

Measurement

Following Kim et al . (2005) students undertaking undergraduate studies in tourism and hospitality at the RIM and then RITH in Bhutan were administered a questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised items to measure basic demographics and also a 21-item scale designed to measure motivations related to pursuing a qualification in tourism and hospitality. These items have also been applied in other surveys ( Bushell et al ., 2001 ; Schmidt, 2002 ; Kusluvan and Kusluvan, 2003 ). The items spanned the domains of job opportunities, interest in the practical aspects of tourism and hospitality, scholastic ambition, the attraction of working in tourism and hospitality, interest in foreign cultures and aptitude for pursuing studies in tourism and hospitality. Responses to the items in the scale were measured on a 7-point Likert scale where “1 = strongly disagree ,” “4 = neutral ,” and “7 = strongly agree .”

Data collection

The questionnaire was administered by the first named author after obtaining ethical clearance from the institution at which the author worked and also obtaining permission from the administrator of the BMMHP. The number of completed questionnaires was fifty-five. The responses were loaded into an SPSS data file for analysis. The questionnaire was developed and tested using five random Bhutanese students studying general management subjects in the Royal Institute of Management (RIM) in the capital Thimphu in a pilot study. Although Kim et al .’s (2005) survey required translation into Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese languages, it was deemed not necessary for this study as English is one of the two national languages; the other being Dzongkha. Although the sample size is relatively small, one hundred percent of students completed the questionnaire in which the author argues is the best result obtainable.

A standard procedure was used to factor analyse the items in the interests and motivations scale based on the survey instrument. The method of Principal Components was used to extract the factors and an obliminal rotation was used to resolve the final factor structure. Following guidelines from Kaiser’s (1974) , criterion only factors with an eigenvalue greater than 1.0 and communalities greater than 0.4 were included in the final factor structure.

Results and discussion

Respondent profile.

The study contained 24 females and 31 males with a mean age being 28. The females were slightly older than the males. Each participant was a Bhutanese national and was accepted into the BMMHP. All participants were in full time employment in the tourism and hospitality industry and able to attend the BMMHP during and outside work hours with their employers permission (see Table 2 ).

Factor analysis

Six factors were extracted which is the aggregate explained 81.89% of the variance. The factor loadings, communalities means and standard deviations are shown in Table 1 .

Of the six factors extracted the first three are dominant explaining 54% of the variance. Since only one item loaded on the last factor it is difficult to draw any meaningful interpretation from it. It does appear that for this cohort the key drivers of their vocational preferences are the perception of the field of hospitality and tourism as attractive, very good career opportunities and the status which can accrue by becoming an expert in the field. Broader benefits such as becoming a professor in the field and travel opportunities are also relevant as is an aptitude and interest in the field.

Table 1 shows the results of the factor analysis conducted on the same scale by Kim et al . (2005) . The authors found that the main dominant factors for studying HTM was job opportunities. This includes obtaining a job, the variety or jobs, perceived high salary, growth and promotion potential in the hospitality and tourism industry. The HTM programs may assist the participants in achieving these outcomes by having the opportunity to study abroad. The results for the Bhutanese study indicate three dominant factors for study motivation in HTM being attraction, career opportunities and status that have similar eigen values (attraction being the most dominant). This may be explained by the increase in tourism products and hotels in the country that have only recently been established relative to other nations. Traditional occupations are declining such as farming and new opportunities in the larger cities including tourism and hospitality are increasing. With the establishment of new hotels, traditional hierarchy management positions have been introduced which offer a clear career path and that may lead to higher salaries and career growth potential.

Kim et al .’s (2005) findings suggest that scholastic achievement is the third most dominant factor and this is similar to the Bhutanese study however, there is a cultural difference between the studies. The Bhutanese respect education however it is ultimately a means to achieve status hence the relabelling of the Bhutanese study to “status”. Additionally, the eigen value indicates a much stronger dominance for status and education than of scholastic achievement presented in the previous study. This may further be explained by Bhutan offering the inaugural HTM program as opposed to already established HTM programs in Kim et al .’s (2005) study.

Comparison on means on factors by gender

The sample was split on gender and the means compared on each of the factors. Table 3 shows the descriptive statistics and the associated p values associated with the comparison of the means.

The table shows that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female respondents on any of the identified motivating factors in respect of careers in Tourism and Hospitality. Bhutan can be viewed as an androgynous culture and that could explain why males and females are similarly motivated. The culture also reflects an ideal of collectivism as opposed to individualism which is indicative of the main religion being Buddhism and the concept of Gross National Happiness ( Ritchie, 2008 ).

Preferred destinations students would like to visit/work/study abroad

The results also indicated that there is a strong desire to study abroad and/or visit other countries with Switzerland, Netherlands, United States of America (USA) and Australia being the most preferred options. This may be explained due to the funding of the BMMHP from international countries with these four countries being largest contributors. Other countries included England, Austria, Maldives, South Africa, China, Japan, Dubai, Singapore, Tibet and others regions of Bhutan by individuals based on personal knowledge or preferences. It is likely that the participants have met visitors from these countries whilst working in the industry or by images from media such as television. When asked which country the participants would prefer to work in, the USA was clearly dominant with almost 40% of responses, secondly Bhutan (20%), then Australia and Switzerland equally with 15%. Other countries mentioned were any country (not Bhutan) (8%), Austria (5%) and China (5%). The majority of television programs shown in Bhutan are relayed from India however include movies and programs from the USA and Britain. The participants acknowledged that the majority of their western exposure is from the television, Internet and tourists that may explain the results. The results suggest that the majority of current students would like to work abroad mainly in western countries and perhaps experience a different standard of living. The participants that mentioned Bhutan as the preferred option to work felt a duty to stay in Bhutan for family reasons.

Interestingly Kim et al .’s (2005) also highlighted the USA and Switzerland as the two main countries that their participants would prefer to study abroad in which is a similar result for this study except Australia rated a close third to Switzerland. It is noted that if the students would like to visit a particular country, if the opportunity presented itself, they would also like to study there however no further evidence as to why they want to work abroad is given.

This study was designed compare Kim et al .’s (2005) Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean student’s motivation to study HTM by exploring the same study motivations of Bhutanese students and included preferred countries to visit and study abroad. The results of factor analysis produced six domains: “attraction”, “career opportunities”, “status”, “broader benefits” and “aptitude”. These findings are significant as the results have indicated a shift in the main dominant domain from “job opportunity” “to attraction” indicating different study motivations of the Bhutanese compared with Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean students.

This study suggests that the main motivation for studying HTM is the attraction to the industry. It also suggests that even though the scores of both studies are similar in one grouping and strongly related, they are still individually independent. For example, the factor loadings suggest that there is a strong motivation to interact with foreigners. This may be due to Bhutan being exposed to the western world for a relatively short period of time ( Ritchie, 2008 ). Moreover, the gross national happiness being high in Bhutan may mean that students are more motivated to focus on education than other geographic locations. The findings also suggest that the participants like to serve others and the field of tourism and hospitality suits their aptitude. Obviously there is strong correlation between the two factors however it may be more involved. As mentioned earlier, Bhutan has introduced the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) which is striving to achieve, spiritual, cultural and individual wellbeing. The Bhutanese are known as a giving society and it may be uniquely asserted that serving others is a way of achieving GNH ( Sinha, 1991 ; Bauer et al ., 1999 ; Ritchie, 2008 ) or a strong motivation for studying HTM. These concepts are unique to Bhutan therefore do not appear in other studies. Similarly, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are being added to the curriculum which supports the concept of GNH. This is to enshrine in sustainable tourism and hospitality policies will eventually meet the SDG that pertain to Bhutan.

The results also suggest that students studying HTM in Bhutan are electing to stay in the industry for a long period of time which supports Cothran and Combrink’s (1999) findings based on minority American student groups studying HTM. This may also be due to perceived job security through sustainable sector growth as hospitality and tourism is the second largest contributor to Bhutan’s GDP. Ross (1994) concluded that Australian students working in a resort or tourist town were more likely to have an interest in working in the hospitality or tourism field because of their familiarity with the industry and this may also be the case for students in Bhutan as tourism is increasing every year and creating more jobs.

Participants from both studies have indicated that the USA and Switzerland and the two dominant countries that study would prefer to study abroad in or to visit. Although it was explicitly stated, both countries represent western populations and ideals which may be the main attraction. Students would like to have a different cultural experience and these countries satisfy these requirements. The Bhutanese respondents also suggested Australia closely behind Switzerland as a preferred country to visit or study broad in. This may be influenced by the BMMHP being externally funded with the USA, Switzerland and Australia being the main contributors (along with the Netherlands).

The results did not offer any difference between males and females motivations for studying HTM in Bhutan which can be due to the culture being fairly androgynous compared to other cultures. This corresponds with motivational theory that suggests that students study for a variety of reasons some of which can include their reasoned action regarding behavioural intentions. It may also be linked with their values, traditions, customs and religion ( Ritchie, 2008 ). Lastly, both studies suggested that it is the attraction or career opportunity being the dominant factors whereas perceived ease of study was not a major consideration (see Figure 1 ).

These results are expected to be helpful in understanding Bhutanese students motivations for studying HTM in the BMMHP compared with other Asian nations. The study provides an insight into the main study motivations of Bhutanese students, countries they would like to visit and countries they would like to study abroad in. The results also suggest the main motivations for HTM study through six identifiable domains. These can be used to help assist in program content including practical work integrated learning opportunities. The study also highlights that the majority of Bhutanese students would like to take their HTM education and work abroad in mainly western societies therefore Bhutan may not be getting the long-term benefits of the students HTM education.

Limitations and future research suggestions

There is a major limitation of this study and that is of the sample size. Although it appears very small, it is the maximum number of students studying HTM in Bhutan. There is only one institution offering an HTM program and that is the BMMHP. These two factors may strongly influence the results however there are no other alternatives. Future research may include the same study be administered to the future intake of students into the BMMHP which will increase the sample size over time. This exploratory study can also be expanded to other countries for comparison. It would be useful to compare and contrast Bhutan student’s perceptions of education with similar size countries in Asia and internationally. Moreover, the level of economic development in Bhutan might influence the course students study. Thus, further studies could obtain information from economic tracking websites to understand educational motivations.

The gross national happiness of Bhutan is high compared to other countries, which means an interesting future research direction would be to investigate more how this influences education. Happiness as a concept could be measured in terms of willingness to progress despite hardship. This enthusiasm for study might mean that students in Bhutan are more willing to focus on emerging topics such as sustainability for business. New research that integrates economic indicators such as gross national happiness with sustainability topics could be studied through in-depth interviews and surveys. This would help to understand the relationships between concepts and the way hospitality and tourism courses in Bhutan can differentiate themselves from competitors.

Tourism and hospitality education is an important component of overall management education due to societal pressures requiring more people to receive education in this area ( Ivanov and Soliman, 2023 ). Thus, this study has provided a way to understand what tourism educators need to do in order to attract more students. In the competitive global marketplace where students from Bhutan can travel to other countries for educational experiences it is important to understand their motivations ( Lhendup, 2021 ). The results of this study suggest that the main motivations are for strategic job placement and to obtain a better position in the marketplace. Thus, hospitality and tourism educators need to consider new topic areas such as artificial intelligence and ChatGPT in new curriculum design ( Williams and McKercher, 2023 ). This might motivate more students to enrol in hospitality and tourism courses ( Llendup and Panda, 2020 ).

Policy implications

Hospitality and tourism are a topic of strategic importance to Bhutan as the country relies on it as part of their economic growth ( Montes and Kafley, 2022 ). This means it is important to know why students study the topic and what can be done to grow student numbers. As the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided there is now more need to obtain highly skilled students who can work in the tourism industry ( Skavronskaya et al ., 2023 ). Moreover, as a large percentage of people travelling to Bhutan do so for tourism reasons it is important to know what kind of services they require ( Norbu and Wetprasit, 2021 ). Thus, the results of this study can help to inform regional and country level governments about educational training needs ( Şimşek and Kalıpçı, 2023 ).

This study has focused on understanding the motivations and experiences of hospitality and tourism students in Bhutan. As there are few studies from a Bhutanese perspective in the business literature, the findings of this study will help to understand the role of culture and economic climate in educational experiences. The results suggest that different countries can be more attractive to Bhutanese students due to the perception of enjoyment and also career opportunities. Limitations and future research suggestions stated how this study contributes to the broader global discussion about the importance of building educational capabilities particularly in emerging economies.

Motivations for Bhutanese students to study tourism and hospitality courses

Factor analysis with varimax rotation on undergraduate students' motivations of choosing an HTM program in either China, Korea or Taiwan (N = 1592)

Factor analysis with varimax rotation on undergraduate students' motivations of choosing an HTM program in Bhutan (N = 55)

Group and gender statistics

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Corresponding author

About the authors.

Dr Paul Christopher Strickland is senior lecturer in Tourism, Hospitality and Events at La Trobe University. Paul has a vast background of job titles in industry from around the globe. His research interests include wine marketing, ethnic restaurants, fashion trends, Bhutanese studies and space tourism. Paul completed his PhD specialising in wine marketing and events.

Dr Vanessa Ratten is Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Department of Management and Marketing, La Trobe Business School at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. She teaches entrepreneurial business planning, managing innovation in organisations and entrepreneurship and publishes in books and high-ranking journals.

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Brand Bhutan and the Political Economy of Sustainable Tourism Development

First Online: 08 April 2022

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Poulomi Dasgupta 4 &
Alison Vogelaar 4

Part of the book series: Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management ((THEM))

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Bhutan’s unique status as one of the original sustainable tourism destinations provides a rare opportunity to explore the political economy of tourism development. Founded on the philosophy of Gross National Happiness, Bhutan’s modern economy and tourism sector are embedded in the contemporary paradoxes of sustainable development. This chapter responds to gaps in the literature on the political economy of tourism development, exploring Bhutan’s tourism sector as it helps to articulate the tensions between sustainable tourism and sustainable development. Using secondary literature, government and trade reports as well as secondary field survey data, our study investigates distributional inequities in Bhutan’s tourism sector. Our study found that the benefits of the tourism sector in Bhutan are unevenly distributed and, more significantly, that existing data may not allow us to adequately measure, assess, and make recommendations for improving sustainability in the sector. We conclude with recommendations for redressing inequities in the context of Bhutan’s tourism sector as well as provisional considerations about the need for better means of accounting for the diverse, and often competing, demands of sustainable development.

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Dasgupta, P., Vogelaar, A. (2022). Brand Bhutan and the Political Economy of Sustainable Tourism Development. In: Farmaki, A., Altinay, L., Font, X. (eds) Planning and Managing Sustainability in Tourism. Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92208-5_13

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Bhutan announces new tourism incentives - click here to read more

Welcome to Bhutan

In a world that is always on the go, Bhutan provides sanctuary. Here, you can find earthly pleasures: archery and age-old crafts, dishes of home-made cheese and fearsomely hot chillies, breathtaking treks and restorative hot-stone baths.

But there’s another Bhutan, too – the one hinted at by the prayer flags strung across gorges and fluttering on every hillside. It’s where irreverent humour meets deeply held beliefs, and epic landscapes and slow journeys create room for quiet awe. In this Bhutan, you can enhance your well-being, immerse yourself in wonder and embark on exhilarating adventures.

More than 70% forested, and the first carbon-negative country in the world, we’re also planting the seeds of science and tech innovation.

There isn't just one Bhutan to discover; there are many. From storied cities to soaring mountains, the door to the kingdom is open once again to old and new friends.

This kingdom is steeped in history, but our gaze is fixed on the future. This is our moment of evolution.

Guardians of some of the world’s most pristine, wild and sacred places – and of a rich, deeply rooted culture – we are steadfast as the cypress in our commitment to conservation., our future requires us to protect our heritage and to forge fresh pathways for forthcoming generations., those who seek us out are called here. arriving as guests, you become our partners in this transformative moment and make a meaningful contribution towards preserving what is priceless., we see a bright future. and we believe in our ability and responsibility to realise it together, and shine as a beacon of possibility in the world., elevated values, bhutan believes.

From our reopening on September 23rd, visitors to Bhutan will make an active contribution to Bhutan’s economic, social and cultural development. The Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) enables investment in transformative programmes that preserve our traditions, protect our heritage and environment, upgrade infrastructure, create opportunities for our young people, and build resilience.

Bhutan has recently announced incentives for longer stays in Bhutan. Click here to read more.

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One of the world’s most sought-after, and expensive, mushrooms, the matsutake draws fungi fans from around the globe to Ura and Genekha. These tranquil villages are now the unlikely epicentre of a mushroom-powered transformation, attracting visitors from far and wide keen to try their hands at finding the matsutake on our forested mountains, and to sample their rich culture and gentle pace. The Matsutake festivals in August are a perfect time to visit, giving you the chance to pick and taste these marvellous mushrooms, as well as a rare opportunity to enjoy mask dances and local food.

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Traditional Hospitality and Travelling in Bhutan

“The guest of one night is like a god” Bhutanese proverb

By Ulrike Cokl

In the Kingdom of Bhutan hospitality permeates every sphere of social life, whether private or public; it infuses (religious) festivals, rituals, rites of passage from birth to death and all kinds of political and social gatherings. From the sharing of food and drinks, singing and dancing, to the exchange of gifts, goods and services, such all-encompassing traditions of hospitality are fundamental to enriching and fostering relationships, thuenlam, at every level of society. This makes them of great importance in nurturing community vitality, psychological well-being and culture, which are three of the nine domains of Gross National Happiness (GNH) the others being education, health, time use, good governance, ecological diversity and resilience, and living standards. GNH is, of course the unique Bhutanese development ideology which places as much emphasis upon happiness as it does upon economic well-being. Official hosting events and practices are based on the etiquette of driglam namzhag (‘system of ordered and cultural behaviour’) as formulated by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal . This article hopes to provide a tiny glimpse into everyday hospitality and hosting in communities and is based on ethnographic research, mostly confined to Bumthang in central Bhutan and Lhuntse in eastern Bhutan, with some examples from other parts of the country provided.

The Neypo (host) Network

The neypo (host) system, with its network of host and guest relationships, was identified in my ongoing doctoral research as the main way in which bonds between communities in different valleys in Bhutan were sustained. The neypo network once covered the entire country and even beyond its borders. Whenever villagers travelled to another valley they usually stayed with their host families – neypos . Since the early sixties the system has gradually dwindled due to increased socio-economic and infrastructure development. In more remote Eastern Bhutan the neypo system still exists, especially amongst the yak herders who have to descend from their high-elevation pastures to the lowlands every year in order to barter their butter and cheese with the rice, chilli and maize produced in the fields of their hosts. Between families, guest/host bonds were very cordial and relations were maintained over generations. The respective families regarded each other as relatives and in some cases they are still in contact even though the seasonal migrations have long been abandoned. At some point the host families themselves would travel and be hosted reciprocally in the homes of their previous guests. While the Dzongkha (national language) term for host is neypo , the Bumthap refer to it as ‘ nadpo ’, or ‘naspo ’, depending on local accents. People from Pema Gatshel, on the other hand, used to have cross-border hosting connections with Assam, and referred to their hosts using the Assamese term ‘ shazi’ . However, the term neypo is commonly known and used throughout Bhutan.

Travelling Bhutanese Style

“When we reach the camp we should not make noise. If we make noise then strong wind and hailstorms will come out of nowhere. We should not roast meat and we should not let curry spill over. Nothing should be burned in the fire because this can also cause serious problems like sudden strong winds and hailstorms, which are very frightening.” (A villager in Bumthang)

Seasonal migrations between higher and lower ecological zones were important activities in the rural subsistence economy in Bhutan. One agey (old man) in Lhuntse very graphically described that the neighbouring Bumthap flocked into his valley like a “swarm of bees” to barter, beg, trade and glean!

Some of the main reasons for annual travels between Bumthang and Lhuntse included:

a) Pilgrimage, neykor b) Barter, jesor , and trade, tshongdrel , as part of transhumance, the movement of cattle and exchange of produce between pastures in higher and lower ecological zones c) Collecting food/begging, grendo gaisang or gleaning, saktum tum sang (‘going to pick up leftovers’) d) Soenyum , food collection conducted by monks and lamas and as part of wider religious transactions

The Bumthap also went to the neighbouring district of Trongsa, for sharecropping and barter. Seasonal migrations of Layaps and Lunaps from Gasa to the lowlands of Punakha, thasa , in the west of Bhutan, and of Merak- and Saktengpas to lowland areas of Tashigang dzongkhag in the east, are also examples of similar food gathering and exchange.

In the past footpaths were well maintained through frequent use and some villagers referred to them as traditional ‘highways’, indicating that there was a lot of coming and going! Before embarking on a journey the astrologer, tsip , had to be consulted to identify an auspicious day, zakar , on which to begin the journey. Travellers had to be careful not to neglect beliefs relating to the local cosmologies of the sacred and spiritually inhabited landscapes through which they passed. Engendering good relations with the entire spiritual ‘landowners’, referred to as neydag (spiritual landowners of holy, sacred places) and zhidag (general spiritual landowners of landscapes such as mountain passes) is still important. The idea being that if good relations are encouraged, these local deities and spirits will, in return, not harm travellers or their beasts of burden and may even create favourable conditions for the journey. Maintaining relations with the spirits and deities can be viewed as part of the wider hospitality framework, as there are certain rules and moral obligations governing behaviour when crossing through the territory of spiritual landowners who are regarded as the local hosts, neypos . For instance, when stopping for the night, travellers must obtain the permission of the local deity; usually this is achieved by an offering of sang (incense). Some activities are considered taboo, such as burning ‘unclean’ items over an open fire, including meat and garlic, and nowadays modern pollutants such as the ubiquitous plastic. Doing so creates drib , impurities, which upset the local deities. Milk and curries that boil over and spill into the fire are also considered impure. If precautions against committing these transgressions are ignored or neglected, it is believed that harm can befall the travellers and their beasts of burden. When reaching a pass, a serkyem (an alcohol offering) will be proffered to the local deities who inhabit the area around the pass. At the same time the travellers might drink a cup of ara too, the local moonshine usually made from wheat or maize, followed by a mandatory re-fill called a dron . Thus a cup or two of ara not only appeases the local deities but helps the travellers on their way a little lighter of foot (and head).

Hospitality: Reception, Hosting and Farewell

“When we go to one host’s house then the other hosts would say, ‘Please also come to my house. Why are you not coming to my house?’ And if we go there, then another host would say, ‘Please come to my house also!’ So we have to visit every host. At first we will be offered ara as a welcome. The ara they [the hosts] will give is compulsory. But offering tea is not compulsory; sometimes they will offer tea and sometime they will not. So, first they will offer ara and then we will take rest. Then we will talk. Only after this will we give our chodma [gifts] to the host family. We would eat food and then they would give us lamju [a farewell gift for the journey]. These little lamju increase as we keep on visiting our hosts. Eventually it becomes difficult for us to carry our loads.” (A villager in Bumthang)

When the Bumthap reached their neypo’s house in Lhuntse, they received a cordial welcome as if they were a family member. The hosts helped the travellers unpack their horses and then escorted their guests inside. The sequence of beverages served would differ slightly depending on the region. Mostly ara would be offered first, then tea, ja , – if available butter tea, suja – and nowadays also sweet tea, ngaja , is offered. After snacks, lunch or dinner would be served. In between, the guests would offer their choom , a general gift one brings when visiting someone’s house. As the saying goes in Bumthangkha: ‘yag thongpa minla tsamtek ’ (‘Just enough to make me not empty handed’). The term choom implies that the gift is for someone who is considered of equal status. The Bumthap, when travelling to Lhuntse, would usually bring dried turnip leaves, loma , incense collected from the higher alpine regions, sangzey , fresh cheese, phrum or dried cheese, tedpa or tespa , and roasted barley flour, thru . After their extended trips to different villages in Lhuntse they would return to their homes with rice, chhum , maize, asham , chilli, bangala , dried fruits and sometimes yeast, phab . Ideally hosts should exhibit generosity and selflessness towards their guests. Guests of higher status are expected to reciprocate the hospitality received with a soelra (parting gift or tips from someone of higher status to someone who is considered to be of lower status), and then they will again receive a lamju from their hosts; a farewell gift for the journey, often alcohol and some food.

The people from Laya and Lunana still visit the lowland areas in Punakha in the winter, bringing yak products such as butter, cheese and meat, but also ropes and blankets made out of yak fur and wool, and sangzey for bartering for rice, chili and other cereals. Some of these are offered as gifts to their hosts who reciprocate by providing some grain and other produce of the lowlands, which are either offered as a chomlog (return gift among equals) or as lamju when the Layaps and Lunaps return to their home, or both.

In Eastern Bhutan, tshogchang is a traditional welcome used by local communities to receive guests. A member from each household will come with some ara, snacks and eggs and gather where the guests are staying to hold an ‘ ara session’ with them. The ara will be heated with egg and butter and then shared. Tshogchang sessions are often accompanied by joking and songs and dances, and often continue well into the night. When the tshogchang is over the guests should give some money as soelra to the members who organized and contributed to the tshogchang . The amount depends on the guests, but should be at least equivalent to the value of the offering.

This is a brief account of traditional hospitality and travelling in Bhutan emphasizing how the neypo system provides a framework for sophisticated exchange. Through the neypo system Bhutanese villagers have become experts in hosting and entertaining guests. These rich traditions have been in place for centuries and although some of these practices are vanishing, many of them have evolved and adapted and continue to be of importance for Bhutanese social relations, thuenlam , and community cohesion. Understanding the importance of establishing and keeping good relations, thuenlam , through these customs in Bhutan is of tremendous benefit in developing sustainable rural tourism. Moreover so as such practices are integrated and rooted within the existing traditions.

Ulrike Čokl is co-founder of Bhutan Homestay and Ph.D candidate at University College London (UCL), U.K., Department of Anthropology. She was affiliated in Bhutan with the College of Natural Resources (CNR) at the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) from 2012-2015. Ulrike has been living on and off in Bhutan for over 16 years. Additional language editing: Sally Hunt

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Welcome to Bhutan

This kingdom is steeped in history, but our gaze is fixed on the future. This is our moment of evolution.

Short distances long journeys

Matsutake picking

Hot-stone bath

Snowman Race

Bird watching

Trans Bhutan Trail

Helicopter services

Laya-Lingzhi Trek

Phallus shop

Butterflies

Rhododendrons

Fiddlehead fern

Punakha Dzong

Samuh and Shangreela

Traditional architecture

Mask-making

Trongsa Dzong

Hydro-power

Editorial Highlights

5 reasons to visit Bhutan this summer

Precious Stones

Cultural Fabric

Family-Friendly Activities to Enjoy in Bhutan

Traditional Hospitality and Travelling in Bhutan

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