A tourism bill and tourism policy, both awaiting some minor changes and final approvals, will bring some radical, fresh and far-reaching changes to how tourism has been conducted in Bhutan so far. The bill and policy will be complementary with the bill providing a legal basis for any tourism policy for Bhutan.
The bill so far establishes the tourism council of Bhutan (TCB) as the apex authority on monitoring the Act and tourism related services and facilities in Bhutan. It will also have powers of promoting, inspecting, monitoring and setting standards for tourism and related services like hotels, tour guides, restaurants and other services, and tourist sites. TCB will also have to maintain a national register of tourism Resources like pristine sites or cultural centres. These will be audited, preserved and promoted. Tourist accommodations and restaurants will have to register.
As part of decentralization policy, tourism villages will also be identified and set up as well dzongkhag and gewog level tourism plans. Plans for both international and domestic tourists will be formulated as well.
TCB will have the power to inspect tourist accommodation, restaurants and other services. There is also a clause of consumer protection in which travel agents, tour operators and guides will not be allowed to mislead tourists in any way.
The hotelier is liable for loss of, or damage to, property brought to the hotel by the guest with a maximum sum of Nu 1,500, except by fault of the hotelier in which case full compensation has to be paid.
Restaurateurs’ duty of care will be to provide good food and a restaurateur, who fails to compl,y will be liable to compensate the customer for any injury or loss.
The Bhutan tourism authority (BTA) may devise a crafts authentication scheme for traditional handicrafts and for street vendors. Permits shall only be issued to street vendors trading at tourist sites.
BTA may establish a tourist assistance office for complaints and help. Tourism inspectors will be appointed by TCB for monitoring services.
Under the policy, tourism royalty will be called a welfare levy and explained more clearly to guests that the money is for the people’s development.
Currently, only hotel standards are being monitored by TCB, but it will look at setting uniform standards for tour operators and other services.
“Our eventual aim is to upgrade all tourist-related hotels into at least 3 star levels,” said an official. The policy also advises against developing more hotels in the saturated areas of Paro, Thimpu, Bumthang and Wangdi. “This is because too many hotels will mean no customers as is already evident in Paro and can make a destination downmarket too,” said an official. The policy will also look at developing other tourist triangles and spots like the Trongsa, Bumthang and Mongar routes, apart from the Paro, Punakha, Thimpu and Wangdi routes. The controlled development of Dor Tsachu, as opposed to the free for all and crowded Gasa Tsachu, is also underway.
Entry for international tourists through Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar is also being considered, subject to security considerations.
There are calls for a gradual shift towards nature tourism as cultural tourism, which is right now the main puller, is not seen as being feasible in the long run with globalisation affecting Bhutan. The policy also calls for any development to be done in consultation with tourism authorities to prevent poor quality and short cut facilities, that affect tourists negatively or destroy the pristine surroundings.
Domestic airstrips and helicopter services are also being examined for scheduled flights to internal destinations. It will also look at regulating regional tourists from neighbouring states in a better manner to derive more benefit and also at capturing the market of domestic tourists and promoting it.
Source: Kuenselonline
