Commemorating the 12th Foundation Day of the Guide Association of Bhutan (GAB), a waddling tour was added as one of the tourism products in the country, yesterday. The stream at the base of Sangaygang in Thimphu has been developed as the country’s first waddling trail. Waddle is a walk with short steps and swaying motion, as in a penguin-like walk.
The trail will be opened to the public soon. The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation supported the initiative.
“We introduced a new tourism product called waddling tour. We have one kilometre of Thujidrak Chhu where people can literally walk in it with gumboots. This kind of tour has never been done before so we are actually championing this kind of trail,” Garab Dorji, the Chairman for the GAB
The GAB has remained active during the pandemic with activities to make the tourism industry more vibrant when the country eventually opens its border to tourists.
“We have been cleaning the areas for the last nine months not only in Thimphu but all over Bhutan wherever we have guides. The guides have been advised that as far as possible they should do a cleaning campaign once every month. Actually, we have provided jobs to more than 800 guides. The guides are working in Build Bhutan, CDCL, and reworking of the Taktshang trail. And we have guides working in the construction sector and 100 working as guides only,” he added.
Along with the inauguration of the trail, the Association also released its annual newsletter.
Started with 69 members in 2009, today the GAB is one of the largest membership-based Civil Society Organizations in the country. Currently, it has around 4,600 registered members.
Kinzang Lhadon
