jigme expeditions
dreams do come true
jigme expeditions
dreams do come true
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Bhutan opening her doors to tourist and the rest of the world in 1974, coinciding with the coronation of His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan.
Many things have changed since then: the policies, the landscape and development within Bhutan, but one thing has remained constant: The vision for “High value, low volume” policy for tourism. This vision was embraced with the hopes to generate income through tourism, but at the same time to be mindful of our culture, heritage and the environment. This ensures a balanced approach to development.
The first tourists consisted of eight Americans, five Spaniards and one Argentinian via road through Phuentsholing, as Bhutan did not have airlines then. The number of tourist since then has peaked at 3,15,000 in 2019.
A simple ceremony took place in Buddha Point, where stakeholders from the industry, the Department of Tourism and elected leaders – past and present were in attendance.
As we move ahead, we anticipate that policies will be reformed to enhance the overall experiences for tourists. There will be a concerted effort to improve the tourism landscape and the quality of facilities available to visitors. Additionally, we aim to unveil new roadside facilities and previously undiscovered locations for tourists to explore. Throughout these changes, our unwavering commitment to the “High Value, Low Volume” philosophy will endure, as we strive for sustainable tourism growth.
