Bhutan has become one of the most preferred destinations for tourists to explore the pristine environment and to enjoy the unique and indigenous cultures. Bhutan started tourism in the 1970s with the objective to both derive benefits and to preserve its uniqueness. Although allowing mass tourism in all parts of Bhutan may have some negative impacts, the tourism industry benefits the country in a number of ways. The tourism sector in Bhutan is one of the main sources of economic growth. Therefore, the tourism industry in Bhutan helps to generate revenues, solve employment problems, showcase unique cultures and improve international relations.
First of all, the tourism sector in Bhutan generates revenues for the country. Reinfeld
(2003, p.16) asserts that the tourism industry became a reliable source of revenue for the government, and it is Bhutan’s third highest generator of foreign exchange. The revenue is collected in the form of royalties and taxes by the government from tour operators. Besides that, the taxation is also increased as tourism helps to provide more employees. These taxes and the tariff collected from the employees and tourist alike, form the revenue generated from the tourism industry. The government follows the policy of ‘high value, low impact’ which generates high foreign currencies while reducing the ill-effects such as deterioration of cultural and environmental values. ‘The most recent estimates of gross revenue from the tourism industry fell between $10.5 and $14 million, 15 to 20 percent of the total value of exports’ (Reinfeld, 2003, p.17). The revenue generated can then be used for developmental activities. Therefore, it is evident from the above reports that tourism sector is an important asset which contributes to the national revenue.
Secondly, tourism in Bhutan provides employment opportunities to the youth. As the population of Bhutan increases, the launching of tourism industry since 1974 has helped the country in solving the unemployment problem (Internal Trade Forum, 2011). The tourism industry is diverse compared to many others, since it comprises of wide range of suppliers of both goods and services. Moreover, it has capacity to support small economic activities of local communities which directly or indirectly lead to employment of individuals. Tourism industry helps the rural communities by hiring transport services such as horses, buying local vegetables, dairy products and handicrafts. Zaei (2013 p.17) states that tourism being labour intensive; it provides large number of employment opportunities, from highly skilled to the unskilled individuals. According to the survey data summoned by (Rinzin et al., 2008), the purchasing of paintings and handicraft items by tourist and the tour operator which are produced locally in rural areas provide a good basis for self-employment. Most of the local communities are benefitted through various employment opportunities like guides, cooks, operators, hotel and restraint owners. Besides that, the farmers get immediate market to sell their goods. Thus, tourism has played a vital role in solving employment problems by providing various opportunities to the people.
In addition to this, the tourism industry helps to showcase Bhutan’s unique culture. Tourism has been a significant means for publicizing the country’s culture to the outside world, and communications with tourists have contributed to strong a sense of national identity, making Bhutanese proud of their country’s unique culture. ‘Bhutan’s main tourism attractions are its traditional culture and way of life, its religious festivals, historic monuments and its pristine environment’ (Dorji, 2003, p.86) Tourism in Bhutan is also highly regulated with respect to conserving local cultures, including dress codes and rules for accessing into important Dzongs, monasteries and local festivals depending on the sensitivity of the local community. Tourists are forbidden from entering Dzongs and monasteries if the guide is not in proper Bhutanese attire. It is also forbidden to take pictures of statues, images and paintings inside the monasteries. It is the responsibility of the guide to brief his guests, incidences of improper behavior by tourists, if reported by the residents, could lead to the tour operator being fined. Hence, tourists are able to experience the unique culture of Bhutan without much of seeing the presence of western culture brought by modernization and development.
Improving international relations is another positive impact of tourism industry in Bhutan. As the local tour operator works with foreign tourist agencies to bring foreign tourists, the co-operation between two tour operators improves the economic relationship between two countries. According to Bhutan Tourism Monitor, the benefits of tourism is not only limited to the tour operators but it also benefits the other Bhutanese sections. (2008, p. 43). As more tourists visit Bhutan, they would gain more knowledge about the country. After their visit is completed, they would share the moments they enjoyed in Bhutan to their people. In this way Bhutan would be more familiar to rest of the world. The air routes has also increase its destinations to many of South East Asian countries and its linking Bhutan to international markets. According to the annual report of Bhutan Tourism Monitor, in 2015, the numbers of tourists visting the country increased to 155,121 which is 16.21% increase in registration. Among the tourists visiting the nation, 57537 were international and 97584 were from the neighbouring countries (2015). As a result, the numbers of tourist visiting Bhutan from far and near countries are increasing yearly because tourism improves international relation. Thus, the tourism industry is growing in Bhutan, due to improving international relations.
To conclude, the positive impact of tourism industry in Bhutan is aimed at generating revenue, in solving the employment problem, showcasing the unique culture and improving international relations. Therefore, the tourism industry in Bhutan is one of the main sources of earning foreign exchange and is helping in the socio-economic development. It also provides employment opportunities to youths, local communities and helps in solving employment issues. When Bhutan showcase its unique culture and it becomes one of main attraction for tourist, more tourists would visit the country. As a result, Bhutan can earn more income and strengthen the international relations.
References
Bhutan, T. C. (2008). Bhutan Tourism Monitor. Thimphu, Bhutan: Tourism Council of Bhutan. Retrieved 09 24, 2016, from http://www.abto.org.bt/annaulreports>/2008
Bhutan, T. C. (2015). Bhutan Tourism Monitor. Thimphu, Bhutan: Tourism Council of Bhutan. Retrieved 09 24, 2016, from http://www.tourism.gov.bt/annual- reports/bhutan-tourism-monitor-2015
Doji, T. (2013). Sustainability of Tourism in Bhutan. Journal of Bhutan Studies, III . Retrieved from http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/journal-of-bhutan-studies-vol-3- n0-1/
Reinfeld, M. A. (2003). Tourism and The Politics of Cultural Preservation: A Case Study of Bhutan. Journal of Public and International Affairs , XIV. Retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/~jpia
Rinzin, C.,Verimeulen,W. & Glasbergen, P. (2008). Ecotourism as a Mechanism for Sustainable Development : The Case of Bhutan. Journal of Environmental Sceinces , IV(2), 109-125. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15693430701365420?scroll=top&need access=true
Trade Forum Editorial. (2011). Bhutan: A model for sustainable tourism development. Retrieved from http//:www.tradeforum.org/articles.aspx
Zaei, M. E. (2013). The impact of Tourism Industry on Host Community. European Journal of Tourism Hospitality and Research., I, 12-21. Retrieved from www.ea-journals.org