Archana Sharma – New Delhi
The Kingdom of Bhutan has come up with a calendar of events and festivals for 2015, to attract tourists to experience its culture and hospitality. Coinciding with the 60th birthday of Bhutan’s fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the year 2015 has been named as the ‘Visit Bhutan Year’. Announcing the same, Damcho Rinzin, head, marketing and promotion division, Tourism Council of Bhutan, stated, “We have planned one big highlight event for every month and for better facilitation of the same, an easy to use website has been launched with details of the events, experiences, special offers of that time, etc.” The Tourism Council of Bhutan will also be working in partnership with the travel trade to create unique experiential packages around key themes like adventure, culture, wellness, nature etc.
Elaborating on the importance of India as a major source market for Bhutan, Rinzin said, “We get about upto 50,000 Indian visitors, making it the top source market and therefore, we organise about five-six events every year in India.” Rinzin also informed that tourism in Bhutan is the second most important contributor to the revenue of the region after hydel-power and the largest foreign exchange earner. “We have observed a 10 per cent increase in revenue from international visitors, whereas Indian tourists have increased their spending habits by 16 per cent,” he added.
Talking about the key events planned for 2015, Rinzin said that the Tour of the Dragon – Bicycle Race in September, the 60th birthday celebrations of HE Jigme Singye Wangchuck in November, and Druk Wangyel Tshechu at Dochula Thimphu in December are the main highlights. Rinzin also stated, “The events and festivals for ‘Visit Bhutan Year’ will be celebrated across the country, and therefore it would be ideal for travellers to explore the entire Kingdom, since Indian tourists largely confine themselves to the Western Golden Triangle of Bhutan, and don’t explore the eastern and southern parts of the country.”