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Majesty the King. These volunteers were deployed by the thousands You are a mountain country, and in a way you to altitudes of 5,320m. This will probably be the
across the country along with personnels from other law enforcement are facing similar problems as all mountain world’s toughest ultra marathon and will test
agencies to support and serve their neighbours and communities. The countries are facing, including Switzerland - the limits of the fittest athletes. And hopefully,
Royal Government organized relief flights and repatriated home its climate change and melting of the glaciers. How we will be able to relay the message of the threat
citizens from all over the world. Our COVID 19 response measures are are you coping with this? of climate change to mountain countries like
more stringent than most countries and partly explains for very few Climate change is an existential threat to Bhutan.
cases in Bhutan. humanity which everyone seems to understand
but international efforts to reverse global warming We have taken measures to protect the
As the pandemic continued to abate and the border remained closed, is severely lacking to the point where it can be health, lives, livelihoods and happiness of the
the economy took a severe hit. Tourism industry came to a standstill. frustrating for small and resource constrained people of Bhutan from the adverse impacts of
Many people were laid off from their work. As most expatriate workers countries like Bhutan which is doing more than climate change by building adaptive capacity
left the country, major construction works and industrial output its share. In the global discourse, the bigger and resilience to reduce vulnerability and
slowed down. Cost of essential goods, normally imported, went up. picture of global warming becomes everybody’s by integrating adaptation actions into the
In every sense of the word, the situation seemed hopeless. To counter problem but nobody’s job when clearly we are all development planning process at all levels.
the impact of the pandemic on our socio-economy, the government aware where the burden of responsibilities lies. We also strive to ensure adequate means of
instituted many schemes in place. Bhutan continues to advocate for a more robust implementation (through finance, technology, “Bhutan is one of the few countries
global response to climate change while our capacity building, research and awareness,
Upon the command of His Majesty The King, the government waived national actions on climate change have received integration) to support both mitigation and in the world which is carbon
off interest payment and EMI for loans owed to the banks by individuals global acclaim. Bhutan was the chair of the Least adaptation actions. negative and we have committed
and business houses for three months and the cost was borne by the Developed Countries (LDCs) negotiating group
government. Additional monetary measures such as deferment of loan on climate change in 2019 and 2020. Your country is considered by travelers as a to remain carbon neutral for all
repayments and provision of working capital and short-term loans at dream destination that is almost inaccessible.
concessional interest rates were rolled out to ensure that relief measures Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world In reality, it is not only difficult for travel times to come.”
were adequate and inclusive. His Majesty’s National Resilience Fund which is carbon negative and we have committed connections (only by flight, high mountains),
was set up in April 2020 to provide economic relief to people through to remain carbon neutral for all times to come. but you also have a very high tourist daily tax
the Druk Gyalpo’s Relief Kidu. The Relief Kidu granted monthly This is the highest level of national commitment (smth like USD 250 per day, which might be too
income support to individuals and loan interest payment support to any nation can make. More than 70% of our high for a ‘middle-class’ traveller). Will you take enhancing opportunities for the future. Where
borrowers. Over 37,000 people and their children have been granted land area is under forest cover and 58% has measures to increase tourism (after pandemics)? our tourism industry is concerned, there are
monthly income support in the last one year (now extended until June been designated as national parks and biological To make your country more tourist accessible? misconceptions and misrepresentations about
2022), while close to 140,000 loan accounts benefited from the interest corridors. Our constitution requires that we Your country has fascinating heritage - cultural limits set on the number of tourists who can visit
payment support. Strange as it may appear, even stray dogs were fed maintain 60% of our land area under forest (7 sites are submitted to UNESCO WHL) and Bhutan annually and your question about a daily
during the lockdown. For youths who lost their jobs, various schemes cover. unique biological reserves (plants and animals). tax of US$ 250.
for alternative employment such as commercial farming, skilling and Tell us how we can visit, e.g. Tiger’s Nest, one
upskilling of youths to find jobs in the construction industry etc were Bhutan is highly vulnerable to the adverse of most sacred Buddhist sites? Or will you Firstly, there are no limits set by the government
undertaken. Schools and colleges reopened only toward the end of the impacts of climate change and in fact we are develop safari-style tourism to see your unique as to the number of tourists who can visit Bhutan
academic year. Our education system had to reorient to provide online living through it. The two main drivers of our biodiversity? annually. When Bhutan opened up for tourism,
lessons, which was not easy. economy, agriculture and hydropower, are The rules governing tourism in the country were there were limitations in terms of our tourism
climate sensitive and unabated warming of our put in place in 1972 that paved the way for the infrastructure (flights and tourist standard
Since the closure of our borders, His Majesty The King has been planet will be catastrophic for small countries arrival of the first group of 287 tourists in 1974. hotels) and as such only a limited number of
travelling across the country meeting people and to ensure that people like Bhutan. We also face increasing threats from Then, Bhutan’s tourism was entirely a government tourists would visit Bhutan then. Today, things
are safe and provided for. Bhutanese are fortunate in that we enjoy climate hazards and extreme events such as flash undertaking. Today tourism is managed by are vastly different. We have regular flights to
great leadership in the person of our King and in this instance, we floods, glacial lake outburst floods, windstorms, private entrepreneurs and the government is Bhutan from India (Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and
have managed to stay ahead of the curve and saved Bhutanese lives. forest fires and landslides. Our glaciers are concerned with matters related to policies, rules Guwahati), Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand and
So far, only one COVID19 related death has been reported in Bhutan. melting at an unprecedented rate and if this and regulations governing our tourism industry. Singapore and we intend to expand our network
Personally, the most striking observation was the sense of charity continues unabated, it would endanger our Bhutan has always followed a policy of “High to the Middle East and East Asia in the near
and volunteerism among Bhutanese people during this time of great source of water and it will also affect lower Value, Low Volume” tourism and has consistently future. This would allow visitors more choices
national need. I suppose it is this sense of national solidarity that makes riparian countries like India and Bangladesh. sought to ensure a cautious tourism sector on how they wish to enter Bhutan. Ofcourse,
Bhutan uniquely different. growth that is within the carrying capacity of our tourists can also enter Bhutan through our land
To highlight the need for immediate climate physical, socio-cultural and natural environment. borders via India.
We have been able to successfully vaccinate about 80% of our adult action and draw greater international attention The premise of our tourism development
population in March/April during a week-long vaccination campaign. to save our glaciers, Bhutan is organizing ‘the policy is rooted in the overall development Over the years, several tourist standard and
Ofcourse, we have much to be grateful to India for donating the vaccines. Snowman Run’ across the northernmost district philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) high-end hotels have come up in Bhutan,
While we remain hopeful that things will improve from hereon, it is of Bhutan, and challenges runners to cover over to promote sustainable tourism that meets the thereby enhancing our capacity to accommodate
unlikely that things will be normal in Bhutan in the immediate future. 300 kilometres in less than 5 days, taking them needs of present visitors and destinations while more tourists. I must add here that our tourism

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