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Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism has re-prioritized its entire flagship tourism program to help those in the tourism industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially, the government allocated Ngultrum 1.5 billion to promote tourism and achieve balanced regional development under the 12th Five-Year Plan. However, the ministry approved and received only Ngultrum 713 million, of which Ngultrum 232 million was used for the economic emergency plan to deal with COVID-19.
A tourism ministry official mentioned that there is no separate flagship plan for tourism. Instead, the government approved the 12th Five-Year Plan for the sector as a flagship plan.
In this flagship parade, the department has identified four parade routes – Eastern Parade Route, Western Parade Route, Southern Parade Route and Central Parade Route. Mongar, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse, Lengtse, Pemagashel and Samdrudzongkar belong to the Eastern Parade Route. The Central Parade Route includes Bumthang, Trongsa and Tsemgung. Thimphu, Paro, Haa, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang and Gyaltsen belong to the Western Parade Route, while Chukha, Dagana, Tsirang, Sarpang and Samtse belong to the Southern Parade Route.
But the department is unable to implement the four routes due to poor transportation. Except for Indian tourists, international tourists must enter Bhutan through Paro or Phuntsholing and then go to the east and other places.
Despite these challenges, the department has developed several initiatives. In the eastern region, Royal Heritage Tours and domestic tourism in Lengchi, Om-Ah-Hung Tours in Mongal Ajinei, and Lotus Valley Trekking and Tours in Pema Gyatsel were established. In the western region, Gaza was developed as a new destination, a trekking route from Nyingchi to Gaza was opened, and the Black-necked Crane Festival and Chubu Tshachu events were intensified to promote domestic tourism.
The southern region has developed the Bjimichu tourist attraction in Chukha, the picnic site and botanical gardens in Jigmelin, renovated Gelegphu Tsachu, and promoted Dagana as a new tourist destination.
On the central route, tours to the cultural heritage palaces of Trongsa and Bumthang and the Bhutan Bird Festival in Tsemgang have been developed.
However, Tashi Tenzin, former head of the tourism flagship project management department, said that the Merak-Sakten Highland Festival in Tashigang and the Zorig Chusum Festival in Tashi Yangtse could not be held. “The infrastructure and amenities have been built, but the festival activities have been suspended or interrupted due to the epidemic.”
Later, the department re-prioritized the entire Tourism Flagship Program to engage tourism workers affected by COVID-19. Under the COVID-19 Tourism Economic Response Plan, the department delivered four extensive immediate engagement programs in two phases over nine months. The first phase was from April to June 2020, and the second phase was from July to December 2020, targeting more than 1,000 unemployed employees.
The programme includes infrastructure and product development, investigation and research, training and retraining, and waste management.
Infrastructure and product development involves the redevelopment, beautification and upgrading of tourist destinations and monuments, including new trails, quality roadside facilities, camping sites and beautification works.
The survey and research included a Google Street View project, which aimed to update street views across the country. The project lasted for three months from April to June 2020 and recruited about 10 laid-off tour guides and professional photographers. The team was trained and the field work was piloted in two identified dzongkhags before being rolled out nationwide.
Training and retraining involves capacity building for industry personnel in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. These include handicraft and souvenir production, hotel assessment, wellness and spa (Sowa Rigpa), tour guide course upgrade and premium food production.
Waste management focuses on managing waste along the most frequented trekking routes and tourist hotspots through clean-up, promotion and awareness programmes. Displaced employees in the tourism industry participated in the implementation of this activity.
In total, the government spent 232 million nunatrum and employed 1,551 unemployed tourism industry employees.
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