Bhutan - More than Shangrila
Whoever said, “Small is Beautiful,” must have thought about Bhutan; for this small Himalayan nation, is beauty epitomized. The fountain head of Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan has achieved global recognition as the Champion of Sustainable Development. A country that was not colonized even by the mighty British Empire, Bhutan is the only carbon negative country in the world.
Thus, it is not a surprise that from 287 in 1974, 2018 saw a total of 274,097 tourists visiting Bhutan. What makes the country unique and special?
The country began planned development by building the first roads, even as Neil Armstrong took a “giant step,” for mankind. Bhutanese used to run away from vehicles, even as Yuri Gagarin visited space. But within few decades, the country achieved what took others centuries; it has transformed from what resembled a medieval village to a modern nation state.
In doing so, the enlightened monarchs of Bhutan did not make mistakes, which others did. Nature was harnessed sustainably. The wisdom that plants and animals have equal rights over the world like human beings never blurred. Led and spurred by visionary Kings, the Kingdom became the house for all beings.
Bhutan houses more than 770 species of bird and 5,400 species of plants. The engendered Bengal Tiger, one-horned rhino, golden langur, clouded leopard, hispid hare and the sloth bear live in the lush tropical lowland and hardwood forests in the south. In the temperate zone, grey langur, tiger, common leopard, goral and serow are found in mixed conifer, broadleaf and pine forests. Fruit bearing trees and bamboo provide habitat for the Himalayan black bear, red panda, squirrel, sambar, wild pig and barking deer. The alpine habitats of the great Himalayan range in the north are home to the snow leopard, blue sheep, marmot, Tibetan wolf, antelope and Himalayan musk deer.
Article 5 of the Nation’s Constitution says that at all times, 60 percent of the country’s area, should be under forest cover. Bhutan is a global biodiversity hotspot and falls among the 234 globally outstanding ecoregions of the world.
Bhutan’s wealth is not confined to environment alone. The Nation has managed to preserve and promote age-old traditions, which are reflected today in the lives of every Bhutanese. Though technology has seeped in, the country’s culture is intact and growing. Symbols of this are the hundreds of stupas, prayer flags and monasteries that make the country special. Traditional Bhutanese clothes have not been thrown away. Culture breathes through lives of the people.
However, what had made Bhutan an exotic tourist destination is the policy of “High Value, Low Volume,” which ensures sustainability in Tourism, too.
