For travellers visiting Bhutan to experience the Bhutanese way of life and culture while immersing themselves in local communities, the Matsutake Festival in Genye Gewog, Thimphu, offers an authentic experience. The annual festival is growing on both locals and visitors alike. More than a hundred tourists attended the opening day on Saturday, up from around 60 visitors last year. Locals say visitor numbers could increase further if registered homestays were made available in the area.
The annual Matsutake Festival is drawing a growing number of visitors to Genye Gewog, creating business opportunities for local communities.
For international visitors, the festival offers a glimpse into rural Bhutan beyond the usual tourist destinations.
The two-day festival allows visitors to taste local dishes, participate in guided mushroom foraging, and relax in forest bathing sessions.
“Getting to learn about Bhutanese culture has been the most memorable part of this experience. I have loved watching the dancing, seeing the mushrooms and learning about how Bhutanese live their lives. It has made this experience really wonderful for me. It has been a really positive experience. Bhutan is a lovely country. The people are so warm and friendly. The culture is fascinating, and I really encourage more tourists to come to Bhutan,” said Elise De Castillo, a tourist from the USA.
“People are great. They are super polite. The landscapes are fantastic, as are the environment and food. I am so happy to be here. I recommend it 100 per cent to anyone who wants to visit this wonderful culture. The festival is fantastic for experiencing the culture, listening to music and trying the food. I highly recommend visiting the festival because you are going to have a great time here,” said Kike Castillo, a tourist from Colombia.
The increase in tourist arrivals is already benefiting the community.
“This has also helped tourism to grow significantly compared to previous years. Earlier, we saw guests and tourists coming to visit the farmhouse and tour the mountains. Today, visitors are coming in greater numbers and spending both nights and days here,” said Sangay, Chairperson, Genye Shamu Zingchog Tshogpa.
However, the lack of registered accommodation remains a challenge.
“In previous years, there were tourists during the festival, but this year, we are seeing even more visitors. Many tourists are interested in staying overnight at homestays. However, since Genekha does not have a registered farmhouse, this has been a challenge for guests,” said Tenzin Choden, Tshogpa, Genyenkha, Genye Gewog, Thimphu.
The gewog says developing accommodation, improving road access and providing other tourism facilities could encourage more visitors.
“To boost tourism year after year, we have many historical and sacred sites, along with the belief in about 108 lakes. So, we want to help visitors reach here easily through better roads. We also want to arrange logistics services and traditional bathing facilities. These are all being planned with the district to boost the local economy,” said Kencho, Genye Gup, Thimphu.
“Some guests come here for the first day, participate in the festivities, and then return to Thimphu and Paro, only to come back to Genekha for the second day. This back-and-forth travel can be quite difficult for them, which is why having a farmhouse would be beneficial,” said Tenzin Choden, Tshogpa, Genyenkha, Genye Gewog, Thimphu.
The increase in tourist arrivals also reflects the growing appeal of Genye as a destination for mushroom, cultural and nature-based tourism.
With the growing popularity of the Matsutake Festival, the community hopes better accommodation and tourism infrastructure will help visitors stay longer and bring greater economic benefits to the local community.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Phub Gyem
