The Bhutanese Leading the way.
At the Friday Forum held at the RUB Convention Hall in Thimphu on 17th October, the Prime Minister, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, delivered a keynote address on “Brand Bhutan” as part of the 12th anniversary special of the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS).
RIGSS, established in 2013 under the command of His Majesty The King, was envisioned as a leadership institute to strengthen governance, democracy and strategic thought in Bhutan.
Over the years, it has taken on several new mandates, including working closely with Gyalsung, developing flagship leadership programs, and contributing to the realisation of His Majesty’s Diamond Strategy and the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) vision.
The Prime Minister (PM)’s talk centred on the essence, responsibilities and future of Brand Bhutan.
The PM began by acknowledging the world’s common perception of Bhutan. “Foreigners know our country as the happiest and Gross National Happiness country,” the PM said. “But the message is that we should be known through our brand.”
He added that the hospitality and character of the Bhutanese people continue to shape how others see the country, and said, “They call us the happiest people because of our warmth and hospitality.”
Brand Bhutan, as a national strategy, was first launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment to diversify exports and integrate Bhutan into the global economy.
The initiative introduced two sectoral labels “Made in Bhutan” and “Grown in Bhutan” to position Bhutanese products in foreign markets.
However, the PM reminded the audience that Brand Bhutan is not a logo or campaign, but an identity rooted in values, governance, culture and conduct. “We should stay here to build our nation, to further our brand GNH and for a strong economy, we need to build the economy,” the PM said.
He described democracy as one of Bhutan’s strongest brand pillars, and stated, “We have a unique and successful democracy. People across the world sacrifice for democracy, but in our country, we were given this by His Majesty.”
The PM also spoke about Bhutan’s social progress, crediting its values and public services. “We are healthy, we have good values and our schools have done fairly well. Our citizens can fairly travel around the world,” the PM said.
The PM also warned that emigration could undermine confidence among investors. He said, “When investors come here and see that we are making a bee line out of the country, how will they believe in our future?”
Tourism, he said, is one of Bhutan’s strongest sub-brands. “High value, low volume, we have to be true to the brand and support the SDF. Market ourselves and get the people who are willing to pay a hundred dollars here and give them a good service,” the PM added.
He also called for honesty in agriculture and food production. The PM said, “Our food is not organic; we have to be honest to ourselves. We have the opportunity to make all our food organic, and we collectively as a society should be willing to invest.”
Culture and spirituality, Lyonchhen said, continue to define Bhutan’s identity. “We are still truly engaged with our culture, and we are doing good. The Gelephu Mindfulness City is, at the core, Vajrayana,” the PM said, adding that events like the upcoming Global Peace Prayer Festival would help Bhutan strengthen its brand as a spiritual nation.
However, the PM highlighted the contradictions in environmental management. “We call ourselves an environmentally clean country, but we need to pollute less fossil fuels and drive more sustainable vehicles,” the PM said.
Turning to Thimphu, the PM added, “There is no excuse for Thimphu. The Thimphu Valley is shameful because of the types of vehicles we have and the incense we burn, and also burning of trash. If we want Bhutan to be known as a leading environmentally friendly country, we can’t produce so much waste. Right now, each person generates more than half a kilogram of waste per day, which ranks us 69th in the world. That’s neither in line with Gross National Happiness nor good for the environment.”
Lyonchhen suggested that Bhutan has the opportunity to act before its reputation is harmed. “We have our opportunity to clean up ahead,” he said,
On governance and transparency, the PM praised Bhutan’s standing but issued a warning. “Corruption is a very important part of democracy. In Bhutan, we are 18th on the corruption index. Bhutan is relatively corruption free and we must fight against it in all forms,” the PM said.
The PM spoke strongly against misinformation online. “Many youth will keep growing the idea that Bhutan is the most corrupted country. Every contract, every job, every loan is associated with corruption if you have gone through Reddit and Facebook,” the
PM said. “If there is no corruption, we should not make it up. But if there is, you should report it to the ACC, to the government and even to His Majesty.”
Lyonchhen said, if visitors who want to invest in Bhutan go through social media, they will not. Lyonchen said, “We should protect our corruption index of 18 and do even better.”
Lyonchhen also expressed concern about declining press freedom and tried contacting Reporters without Borders to inform what can be done as the Prime Minister of Bhutan to protect the journalists, but did not receive any response.
The PM linked Brand Bhutan to His Majesty’s broader vision and the work ahead.
As Lyonchhen concluded, he reflected on what must be protected, and said, “Brand Bhutan is special, Brand GNH is special, it is to strengthen links.”
