From thrilling river rafting to immersive cultural tours and hands-on paddy cultivation, the International Bloggers Conference is offering a captivating showcase of the country’s treasures to digital content creators from across Asia. The Department of Tourism’s nine-day event hopes to amplify Bhutan’s tourism through the vibrant narratives of these influencers. The conference will end tomorrow.
The International Bloggers Conference featured 26 bloggers or influencers, including 19 international bloggers.
As part of the conference; they visited museums and Kaja Throms, delved into the rich culture and traditions, and went on hikes.
They travelled to Trongsa, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang, Thimphu, and Paro to experience village life and cultural heritage.
“It is my first time here in Bhutan, and I am very impressed. The expectations I had and the reality are very different. People are very warm and not as conservative as I thought. Bhutan is just like any other country. It is just very rooted in Buddhism and culture. They believe in doing good in every aspect of their life, which I strongly believe in as a Buddhist myself,” said Nana, a digital content creator from Malaysia.
“The experience has been mind-blowing. This is my second visit to Bhutan. Last year, I visited with my parents, and this time for the international bloggers’ conference. I am just in love with this country. It is so beautiful, peaceful, divine, and calm. I am already planning my third visit to see Bumthang,” said Rohit Mavle, a digital content creator from India.
“The international content creators are experts in their field. We learn a lot from them, and we feel very proud to be able to teach them about our culture and heritage while learning about theirs,” said Choyang Phuntsho, a digital content creator.
Chablop Passang Tshering who is also a digital content creator said “The seven of us, Bhutanese bloggers, are helping our international blogger friends explore the country and learn from them at the same time. Our main responsibility is to show them our country, and we are working hard to do that. We hope they will share Bhutan with the world.”
Leveraging the power of social media and influencer marketing, the tourism department is expecting to position Bhutan as a must-visit destination.
“There are 19 creators here, and they are very happy with what they are doing. When they go back, they will share their experiences with other influencers. These influencers may then get in touch with us, leading to more visits to Bhutan. In this way, we aim to increase the visibility of Bhutan and create a positive image that encourages people to visit,” said Damcho Rinzin, Officiating Director of the Department of Tourism.
The conference is one of the activities to commemorate 50 years of opening Bhutan to tourism.
The tourism department in collaboration with the Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property is organising the event.
According to the tourism department, the conference will be held annually. The department said, most likely, bloggers will be exploring the eastern part of the country next year.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Tshering Zam
