The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In recognition of the tourism sector’s broader structural challenges, the government plans to establish a time-bound, Prime Minister-chaired Tourism Mission Board (TMB) according to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE).
The Board will meet monthly from December 2025 through December 2026 to coordinate actions across government and address key issues, including hotel credit, service standardization, financial plough-back mechanisms, and tourism data transformation, ensuring alignment across economy, culture, environment, infrastructure, security, and foreign affairs.
MoICE has also completed its review of the tourism policy, including regulations, and targeted incentives to promote travel to lesser-visited dzongkhags and increase annual tourist arrivals. Recommendations to extend visitor stays and encourage travel to remote dzongkhags have been submitted to the Cabinet for decision.
The proposals, developed over more than a year of research and consultations, aim to support tourism recovery without compromising Bhutan’s “High-Value, Low-Volume” brand. Once Cabinet approval is received, MoICE will move swiftly to implement the measures.
On the marketing front, the Department of Tourism has intensified efforts to rebuild Bhutan’s visibility in regional and international markets. Between July and October 2025, Nu 17.8 million (mn) was spent on targeted campaigns, including international media collaborations, familiarization trips with editors and influencers from India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and Korea, participation in tourism fairs and roadshows in India, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea, and events like Bhutan Culture Day in Seoul and Busan, as well as preparations for the Osaka Expo 2025.
Digital campaigns such as “Bhutan 365” and “It is Easy to Visit Bhutan” highlight year-round tourism, simplified processes, and improved flight connectivity, including the new Dubai direct route. Familiarization trips were also conducted to lesser-visited dzongkhags like Pema Gatshel and the eastern circuit to diversify itineraries and distribute tourism benefits more evenly.
As of September 2025, tourist arrivals stood at 135,787, with about 70 percent being regional visitors.
