Tourists visiting Bhutan’s national monuments can now book entry tickets online, even before arriving in the country. Introducing a faster, more convenient, and transparent process, the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development launched the ‘National Monument Ticketing System’ today. The system is expected to replace the manual ticketing system that often created challenges in visitor management and reporting.
Booking a ticket is just a click away. Visitors or their guides can log on to the official website of the national monuments www.nationalmonuments.gov.bt and select the ‘Book Online Tickets’ option.
After filling in the details, the system instantly issues a ticket with a QR code in the visitor’s email.
At the entrances of the monuments, the QR code is scanned for validation, and visitor data is automatically recorded in the dashboard.
For visitors availing on-site tickets, their records will be maintained in the system, unlike in the past, where they were registered in a logbook.
“The system manages and secures all the aspects, with everything processed digitally. We have both an online booking option and an on-site booking facility, but every booking must go through the system. It captures visitor information, provides the total number of entries, and tracks live locations, allowing responsible officials to monitor accordingly,” said Yeshi Samdrup, Chief Architect, Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development.
The system is an effort to modernise and improve the management of the monuments.
“When we use the traditional method, we are not able to fully track the number of tickets being used. This leaves room for the repetitive use of tickets. Additionally, coordination between the ticket counters and the security personnel, currently supported by the Royal Bhutan Police, can also pose challenges. If they do not work independently and instead have the intention to engage in corrupt practices, the system creates opportunities for misuse,” added Yeshi Samdrup, Chief Architect, Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development.
Currently, eight monuments in Thimphu, Punakha and Paro, which are frequently visited by tourists, are listed on the ticketing system.
The department began developing the system with technical support from the GovTech Agency last year and completed user acceptance testing this month.
The department plans to roll out a mobile application, integrate the system with relevant agencies, and introduce advanced analytics for heritage planning.
The platform is also expected to expand to cover more cultural sites in the future.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Kipchu
