The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) is projecting a maximum arrival of 50,000 tourists if Bhutan reopens with certain relaxations in March next year. The number is down by 84 per cent compared to arrivals in 2019. And this paints a grim picture for those who have been displaced from jobs and are waiting to be employed back into the sector when the country eventually reopens for international tourism.
In Bumthang, 35-year-old Tshering Dendup, a hotel employee who was relieved on unpaid leave is doing temporary menial jobs with his friends to sustain his family. He lives with his wife and three school-going children. Life has become difficult for him because of the pandemic.
“Now that we have lost our regular jobs, we have been working at the Dzongkhag’s residence construction site, a Dzong renovation project and a footpath pavement work at religious sites,” he said.
He says it is difficult for hotel employees to find new jobs due to lack of experience in other fields:
“My friends and I have been trying to get a new job but due to mismatch of available jobs with our hospitality sector experience, it is difficult to land a job. Moreover, the red tape on the need to produce certificates and mark sheets are making it even more difficult.”
Like many hopeful employees in the tourism and hospitality sector, Tshering is waiting for the tourism industry to reopen so that he can join his regular work.
“If the hotel reopens, I think it would be better for me to rejoin but if the situation remains the same, I might have to keep looking for other jobs as I am the sole bread earner in the family. The daily wage that I am earning these days can hardly make ends meet. If we don’t receive His Majesty’s Kidu, the situation would be even worse,” he added.
“We are looking forward to getting back to the field with the tourist. With the pandemic, the number of tourists in the country has gone down to zero. We are also aware that the number will decrease when Bhutan reopens to tourists. We have to prepare ourselves mentally and compete with the other professional guides given that the number will decrease,” said Nima Thukten, a tourist guide.
TCB says it has been receiving inquiries from overseas travel agencies and the tourism and hospitality sector in the country on when Bhutan would reopen for tourists. The council says Bhutan is open for tourists since 6th September following notification from the Health Ministry given all incoming travellers abide by the country’s COVID-19 containment protocol to undergo the mandatory 21-day quarantine. So far, according to the council, not a single tourist expressed interest in visiting the country.
“I personally feel that we might be able to reopen by March or April next year at the earliest. And this is not an official statement from the government. When we talk about reopening, we should also be aware of the safety of both our people and the tourists,” said Dorji Dhradhul, the Director-General of TCB.
He added that it might take around five to six years for the number of tourist arrivals to reach the figure recorded during pre-COVID times:
“This decrease in the number of tourists would mean lesser opportunity for the ones working in the sector such as tour guides, drivers, tourist vehicles, and hoteliers and those working in the hospitality sector. They might eventually have to look for employment in other fields. Even if we invite, the tourists will likely be reluctant.”
For the hoteliers, the projection is a great cause of worry, and are proposing that the government take measures before the entire hotel industry collapse.
“We can see many people have been displaced from their responsibilities and jobs. So the question is how do we actually take it forward beyond 50,000. I feel the government agencies have the responsibility to take the number beyond 50,000. We can’t just be sitting idle and saying that the number will not be going beyond 50,000 and then do nothing about it. It is the hotel owners who borrowed huge money from the banks. If lesser tourists visit the country, then we will have a tough time repaying the money back to banks and it will impact the economy at large,” said Sonam Wangchuk, the chairperson of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan.
Bhutan has no tourist in the country since March after the first COVID patient who was an American tourist left the country. This year between January and March 25,000 tourists visited the country and 4,084 cancelled their travel to Bhutan due to the pandemic.
Kipchu / Phub Gyem
