Promotes sustainable tourism by linking it to the past, present and future
"Bhutan" reopens the "Old Trail" from "Expo Dubai"
Dorji Dradhull: “We want to provide an unforgettable experience for tourists, but without draining our resources by attracting crowds.”
Loknath Sharma: "Our presence at the Expo gives us the opportunity to come together and draw the world's attention to what we are striving to achieve."
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Making the link between the past, present and future and linking it to sustainable tourism .. the basic message launched by Bhutan, in conjunction with its announcement of the reopening of the "Old Road to Cross Bhutan", also known as the "Old Silk Road", which will achieve economic prosperity for its local communities.
In March 2022, the Himalayan country will reopen that road after a 60-year closure.
Previously, members of the royal family, monks and traders in Bhutan used this 250-mile trail to cross the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Before starting to reopen the road, the Bhutan Tourism Board is focusing on its policy of balancing visitor numbers on the one hand, and sustainability on the other.
opportunity
The Minister of Economic Affairs of the Kingdom of Bhutan and Commissioner-General of its pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Loknath Sharma, said in a speech at his country's pavilion, which is located in the Opportunity Zone, that "our presence at (Expo 2020) gives us the opportunity to come together, and through it we draw the world's attention to What we strive to achieve, given Bhutan’s natural beauty, friendly people, and unique culture.”
He added that "many countries have started implementing reforestation programs, as well as taking the necessary measures to protect their natural environments, but Bhutan has ecosystems rich in its biological diversity, as the area of land covered by forests is 60% of the total area of our lands."
He added that "the people of Bhutan live in harmony with nature, guided by their spiritual values," noting that "happiness is the primary goal of the government and people of Bhutan, in addition to that Bhutan aspires to develop its models in the fields of business and economics, with a strong focus on the principle (achieving national happiness). comprehensive).
unforgettable experience
In turn, Director General of the Bhutan Tourism Board, Dorjee Dradhol, said, "Our tourism policy, which is to create high value with a small number of tourists, means that we want to provide an unforgettable experience for tourists, but without this draining our resources by attracting large crowds." .
He added, "We have regulations in place, and we plan to manage the number of tourists in a way that allows us to protect our natural heritage, and we are a carbon-neutral country, and this is due to our environmental policies in place since the seventies of the last century."
Dradhull stressed that "the local communities living along (the ancient path of crossing Bhutan) will directly benefit from its reopening, and will participate in maintaining the road, and by providing tourists with the necessary services."
"The Path"
It is noteworthy that the "Old Trail of Crossing Bhutan" extends from the east to the west of the mountainous region of the country, and passes through the fertile river valleys.
It is also a route rooted in the history of Bhutan, with many historical and cultural attractions, and the diverse communities, that live along the route.
important message
Bhutan's economy is the world's only carbon-negative economy (it takes in more greenhouse gases than it emits), so this small Himalayan country presents an important message to other countries, gathered under the umbrella of the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Bhutan is also the only country in the world that places the "Achievement of Comprehensive National Happiness" index above the "Gross National Product", as the country has implemented a set of policies that take into account the well-being of its people and collective happiness, and ensure the possibility of achieving harmony between economic development and spiritual happiness.