Locals of Gangteng and Phobji Gewogs in Wangdue Phodrang are reaping the benefits of the Black-Necked Crane Festival. With the increasing number of visitors every year, the festival has become one of the main income-generating sources for the locals.
Besides seeing the courtyard of Gangteng Monastery houseful with spectators, the same number of people are also seen visiting the shops and stalls nearby the festival area at the same time. Handicraft shops nearby the monastery are seen packed with tourists, while stalls and other shops are filled by locals looking to buy a souvenir from the festival.
The festival brings the business opportunity more closely to the natives. Norbooding under Dangchhu Gewog is the only nearest place to sell their farm produce, but the event opens a short period of time for them to sell it to the mass.
“We even don’t get Nu 100 to 200 in a week, sometimes. But during the festival, we fetch around Nu 16,000 to 40,000 in a day. So, our business is going well during the Black-Necked Crane Festival,” said Nim Dorji, from Gangteng in Wangdue Phodrang.
“Both Bhutanese and foreigners are coming to buy in my stall. I feel proud when I am being able to sell our local indigenous products to them. So far, I fetched around Nu 30,000 and expecting to fetch Nu 40,000 to 50,000 in two days,” said Tashi, a businessman.
Likewise, almost all the homestays in the area get booked during the festival.
“There were about twenty homestays while the festival was first introduced. But since visitors have been increasing over the years and owners started earning good money, the numbers of homestays also drastically increased and it has been benefiting them immensely,” said Gyeltshen, the Gangteng Gewog Gup.
However, according to the Phobji Gup, the farmhouse owners in his gewog have a different story to tell. He says due to bad road stretch of about 12 kilometres and their places being far away from the festival, the homestays in his gewog do not get an equal number of customers like in Gangteng.
“I feel visitors will come to our homestays only if the government could help us maintain the road. Likewise, I feel our people need to have good skills and improve their dealing knowledge to attract more tourists in future,” said Jamtsho, the Phobji Gewog Gup.
Apart from the local sellers, the festival also attracts other business people from the nearby gewogs and dzongkhags. Some of them come annually to do their business and go back satisfied with the good return.
Changa Dorji
