Six Eastern Bhutan Districts Prepare Local Tourism Action Plans

Six eastern Bhutan districts are preparing tourism plans focused on local attractions, infrastructure, community ownership and regional investment.

Six districts in eastern Bhutan are preparing tourism action plans intended to identify local attractions, address infrastructure gaps and give communities a larger role in managing destinations.

The Handicrafts Association of Bhutan is training local leaders, government officials, community representatives and private operators to develop a separate Tourism Action Plan for each district.

Training has been completed in Lhuentse, Trashigang and Mongar. Sessions for Samdrup Jongkhar, Trashiyangtse and Pemagatshel are expected to conclude by November 2026.

Training Progress Across Six Districts

A dzongkhag is a district in Bhutan, while a gewog is a smaller administrative area comparable to a subdistrict. The plans are intended to be incorporated into development programmes at both levels.

Giving Local Administrations a Larger Role

The initiative shifts part of the responsibility for tourism planning towards district and gewog administrations.

Instead of treating eastern Bhutan as a single destination, each district will assess its own attractions, infrastructure requirements, business opportunities and environmental concerns.

Local stakeholders will identify potential tourism products connected to nature, culture, adventure, wellness, spirituality, agriculture and food. The plans will also consider business events, including meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, a sector commonly known as MICE tourism.

The district plans align with the Bhutan 21st Century Economic Roadmap, the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan and the Bhutan Integrated Tourism Master Plan 2025 to 2034.

These national frameworks call for tourism benefits to be distributed more widely across Bhutan. They also encourage districts to identify distinctive attractions or develop tourism circuits connecting several places when a single major attraction is not sufficient.

Infrastructure and Visibility Remain Challenges

Participants at the Mongar training identified several barriers that could make it difficult to attract visitors and encourage them to stay longer.

Ugyen Yangzom, the elected head of Ngatshang Gewog, highlighted limited media visibility, inconsistent trail-safety measures and a shortage of basic public amenities.

She also proposed using a community engagement model based on self-help, mutual assistance and public support. The aim is to involve residents directly in planning and maintaining tourism projects rather than treating them only as beneficiaries.

Other participants said tourism businesses and attractions needed to be packaged together more effectively.

“Tourism products also need to be packaged more effectively. Eco-lodges, for instance, could be promoted alongside nearby attractions such as rafting and suspension bridges rather than marketed separately,” said Dawa Tshering, the administrative officer of Gongdue Gewog.

Such packaging could help visitors understand what they can do within a particular area and make it easier for tour operators to build longer itineraries.

Certification and Digital Marketing for Local Products

The plans also examine how tourism can support artisans, farmers and cottage enterprises.

Tshering Nidup, a woodcarver representing Khengkhar Gewog, raised the need for formal certification and verification of locally produced goods. Such systems could help establish the origin and authenticity of products sold to visitors.

Digital marketing is another gap. Small producers may have distinctive products but limited access to platforms that can introduce them to customers before or after a visit.

The Handicrafts Association of Bhutan expects many tourism products and services to be developed through business models involving private investment. Local administrations would support these ventures through planning, policy coordination and regulation.

However, proposed investment will need to be distinguished from funding that has been formally committed. The action plans will identify opportunities, but their economic effects will depend on financing, implementation and demand.

Mongar Plans for All 17 Gewogs

Mongar’s Tourism Action Plan is expected to cover all 17 of the district’s gewogs.

Paras Adhikari, Mongar’s assistant economic development and marketing officer, said the plan would provide a roadmap for community-based tourism while identifying cultural and natural attractions across the district.

The district expects tourism-related enterprises to support employment and local livelihoods. Potential opportunities include accommodation, food services, guiding, transport, handicrafts and outdoor activities.

Recent cultural projects elsewhere in the east, including the Jigme Namgyal Museum in Lhuentse, show how local heritage sites can add to a wider regional itinerary. Their value will depend partly on transport, visitor facilities, interpretation and connections with nearby communities.

Preparing for Changes in Regional Access

The action plans are also intended to prepare eastern districts for possible changes in visitor movement as Bhutan develops new transport infrastructure and entry routes.

A larger Gelephu Mindfulness City International Airport is under construction in southern Bhutan and is planned to open in December 2029. Gelephu already has limited international air services, but the new airport is intended to handle a much larger range of aircraft and routes.

Improved national connectivity could eventually make it easier for visitors to include eastern Bhutan in longer itineraries. The region also has the land gateway at Samdrup Jongkhar and the domestic airport at Yonphula.

Better entry points alone will not guarantee more visitors or longer stays. Eastern districts will also need reliable transport, accommodation, public amenities, safety standards, trained service providers and tourism products that can be combined into practical itineraries.

Implementation Planned Through 2034

The participating districts are expected to launch their Tourism Action Plans and begin implementation during the current financial year.

Projects will be divided into short, medium and long-term phases extending to 2034. Integrating them into district and gewog development plans could help connect tourism proposals with public budgets, infrastructure work and local economic programmes.

The initiative is jointly funded by the Department of Tourism and the Voice for Green Change Partnership. The European Union-supported project is led by the Handicrafts Association of Bhutan and runs from 2024 to 2026.

The completion of the plans will establish district priorities. Their longer-term value will depend on whether identified projects receive funding, meet safety and service standards and generate measurable benefits for the communities involved.