Sustainable tourism development and its importance in Bhutan

Dorji, Sonam Yigtsho

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a set of global aspirations to transform the world by 2030. In Bhutan, the government’s approach to tourism is guided by the policy of ‘high value, low volume’, aiming for a limited number of high-spending tourists as opposed to the mass tourism market.  Using a sequential mixed method approach, this study examined the tourism policy of Bhutan and its role in socio-economic development. It also provides insight into the enactment of policies founded by the King and touches on points of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and the tourism policy; ‘High value, Low volume.’ Data was collected through document analysis and surveys. The tourism policy of Bhutan was analyzed using SWOT analysis, while descriptive analysis was carried out for survey data using SPPS version 22. The key findings reveal that the tourism policy has supported socio-economic development through the creation of business opportunities, creating jobs, thereby contributing to an improved and better local economy and livelihood. Although the results show that the government’s strict tourism policy of ‘high value, low impact’ protects the country’s culture, traditions, and natural environment. It controls the number of tourist visits, thereby impacting revenue generation. The study recommends that the policy of ‘high value, low volume’ should be revisited to attract more tourists to the country.

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