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Getting Here and Around News + Stories

Singapore Bhutan Direct Flight Starts

Expanding Bhutan’s air connectivity to 5 countries, a direct air link between Singapore and Bhutan was established after national airline Druk Air flew its inaugural flight to the island state, on Tuesday. Her Royal Highness Princess Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck was on board as chief guest, leading a delegation, compromising of DHI, Druk Air, and government […]

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News + Stories

Japanese Tourists Top Visitors List to Bhutan

Among international arrivals Japanese were the dominant visitors in the first seven months of this year according to records maintained by the secretariat of the Tourism Council of Bhutan. As of July this year, 3,923 Japanese tourists had arrived in the country. Within the same period 2,561 American tourists had visited.

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News + Stories

Tour Operators Reject Proposed Hike

Tourism Council Secretariat’s recent proposal for funds from tour operators to support their functioning met with an outright denial from more than 100 tour operators, who had an emergency meeting yesterday in Thimphu.

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Sacred Rocks of Bumthang Tamshing

Bumthang Dzongkhag Administration and Tamshing monastery in Bumthang will be conserving the ‘Nye Doe’ or religious rocks, of treasure discoverer Tertoen Pema Lingpa in Kawlaypang.

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High-end Indian Tourist to Visit Bhutan

In what should inject some rupees into the local economy, upwards of 3,000 high-end Indian tourists will be visiting Bhutan between May and July, as part of the Druk Air’s marketing collaboration with two online Indian tour companies.

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News + Stories

Bamboo Craft on the Decline

Kangpara gewog in Trashigang is seeing a decline in its traditional bamboo-craft (tsazo) practice, with craftsmen finding better economic opportunities elsewhere or in other line of work. Villages of Madewa, Pasaphu, Pedung practise bamboo-craft, and weave products like bangchung, pen case, tsezem (cane backpack), hand bag, belo (cane hat) and pey palang (incense case). But […]

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Lingzhi Dzong in Bad State

Lingzhi Yugyal Dzong, once majestic, lies in a state of ruins today. Its roofs have been blown away and the walls crumbled to the ground. It was damaged by the earthquake in September last year leaving it uninhabitable. The monk body and the Dungkhag office had to be shifted. Our reporter, Eshori Gurung, who recently […]

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Chorten Nyingpo

Chorten Nyingpo is a monastery in Kabisa, Punakha, that was built by Gyalsay Tenzin Rabgye in the 17 century. Chorten Nyingpo Lhakhang, was renovated recently using the art of conservation for inner mural paintings so they looked as old as they were.

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Travel to Bhutan – A Survey

Travel to Bhutan and you could fit this data. Travellers visiting Bhutan are mostly aged 45 and above, with the most dominant age group being over 60 years, and most were well educated, according to a survey carried out last year by the Tourism Council of Bhutan. In 2011, 64,028 international travellers visited Bhutan.

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News + Stories Tour Companies

Bhutan Tourism – The Ugly Side of Business

Bhutan tourism’s unique policy of “High Value, Low Impact” is indeed a priceless gift from our leaders and we must treasure it at any costs. For more than three decades after the inception of Bhutan’s tourism industry, this policy has contributed significantly in building an image for Bhutan as a most unique and exotic destination […]