Haa's Tourism: Surpassing 2024 Goals and Eyeing New Heights
Haa has reached a significant milestone in tourism, surpassing its 2024 target by nearly 70 per cent.
Haa has reached a significant milestone in tourism, surpassing its 2024 target by nearly 70 per cent. A total of 8,471 tourists visited the district last year, exceeding the initial goal of 5,000. Looking ahead, the district—recently listed among BBC Travel’s top 25 destinations for 2025—aims to attract 10,000 tourists this year. Officials describe this goal as both optimistic and achievable, citing the growing interest in Haa among travellers.
Of the total visitors last year, over 4,000 were domestic tourists visiting sacred sites. The remaining visitors included more than 2,050 international tourists and over 1,930 regional tourists.
According to the district administration, the number of visitors has seen a significant rise over the past few years. This growth is attributed to the district’s sustainable community-based tourism initiatives, improved road connectivity, and the increasing appeal of cultural and adventure tourism in the region.
Haa’s efforts to become a preferred tourist destination received an additional boost when BBC Travel recognised the district as one of the most desirable places to visit in 2025.
“The joint efforts, not just the Dzongkhag administration but a lot of other stakeholders like hoteliers themselves, other donors, our development partners, who worked with us over this period, we went quite heavy with visibility products such as trying to come up with flyers, brochures, some articles in newspapers. So, I thought this contributed to the visibility of our Dzongkhag to the international audience as well as to our domestic market,” said Melam Zangpo, Haa Dzongda.
Some of the strategies moving forward include intensifying marketing efforts, promoting homestay experiences, and organising cultural events to highlight the district’s unique traditions.
“We are trying to unbox things, and we have started to work on that. That would be the branding of Haa district for tourism development, and we have started that. So, over one year, we will get this done. So that will put things together in terms of the overall vision of developing tourism in Haa. And we will develop products for sale around what it means to engage in cultural heritage, environment, local experience, very authentic Bhutanese experience,” added the Haa Dzongda.
Haa Spring Festival
An integral part of Haa's tourism calendar is the Haa Spring Festival, previously known as the Haa Summer Festival. The first edition of the festival took place in 2011 and, since last year, has been renamed to align with the district’s favourable spring weather conditions. The festival, traditionally held over three days each year, now takes place in the spring and showcases the peak bloom of various herbs and flowers.
The festival has also relocated from Eusu Gewog to Yangthang, an open area just over a kilometre from Haa towards Bji Gewog. The Haa Spring Festival features vibrant customs, nomadic traditions, and local delights through cultural programmes, demonstrations, and sporting events. Visitors can enjoy regional cuisine, yak and horse riding, and exhibitions of native Haa cattle breed Nublang and trout species.
Springtime ensures majestic yaks remain in the accessible valley below, enhancing the festival’s charm and providing commercial opportunities for local communities. The next Haa Spring Festival is scheduled to take place from 7-9 April 2025.
Officials remain optimistic that with effective promotion strategies and enhanced services, Haa will not only meet its target but also establish itself as a key tourist destination in Bhutan.
