Bhutan: Gelephu domestic airport received its first scheduled flight, yesterday.

More than three years after it was inaugurated, Gelephu domestic airport received its first scheduled flight, yesterday.

The national airline, Drukair, flew seven revenue paying local passengers and four government guests, including the information and communications secretary to Gelephu from Paro. From Gelephu, the airline picked up the information and communications minister and other government officials on its return flight to Paro via Bumthang.

The airline will conduct two flights a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Gelephu.

The promotional fare for Bhutanese is currently Nu 6,000 for a return ticket to Gelephu, and Nu 3,500 for a one way ticket. The flight time between Paro and Gelephu is 45 minutes.

Foreigners will be charged USD 250 for a return trip and USD 140 one way.

Drukair CEO, Tandin Wangchuk said that commercially the flights will not be financially sustainable and that the airline is simply following the government’s directive. “We’re respecting a government directive and we’re operating,” he said.

The government instructed Drukair to begin flying scheduled operations to Gelephu in April and in November.

He pointed out that Drukair would operate to Gelephu even if there is only one passenger flying one way. But when there are no passengers, the airline will not operate.

The CEO said that the government could make the business more sustainable for Drukair if it were to provide aviation fuel facilities at Gelephu domestic airport. Up to 30 percent of the cost of a flight is spent on fuel.

Department of Air Transport (DAT) director, Karma Wangchuk said that it may not be commercially viable for the Bhutan Oil Distributor to have in place aviation fuel facilities at Gelephu given the potentially low number of flights to the airport. However, he said that the DAT will ask the fuel company.

Tandin Wangchuk also said that the government should consider expanding Gelephu airport so that both airlines can use it to temporarily halt there when there is bad weather at Paro international airport. He said this would be a cheaper alternative than having to halt at Kolkata or Bagdorgra.

Karma Wangchuk said that there are plans to eventually expand the airport but that significant costs would be involved. He said any expansion would depend on the government and fund availability.

Tandin Wangchuk did not rule out Drukair approaching the government later on if it is found that the route remains unsustainable.

The erstwhile Department of Civil Aviation constructed the airport at a cost of Nu 225.3 million. A further Nu 9 million was spent to build a new terminal at the airport when the runway had to be shifted and it was found that the first terminal was located too far away.

Source: Kuenselonline

Bhutan Jumolhari Third Mountain Festival

After trekking for two days from Shana in Paro and as temperatures dipped to almost zero degree, about 200 people including tourists joined the local communities last week at the third Jomolhari Mountain festival to celebrate life in the mountains.

Amusement: Winners of a horse race, which was held as part of the Jomolhari Mountain festival last week (Photo: Lhendup Tharchen, JDNP)

Perhaps the coldest festival celebrated in the country, the two-day fiesta at the base of Mount Jomolhari, which is about 3,850 meters above sea level, is organized annually to encourage wildlife conservation through community participation and promote ecotourism opportunities in the Jomolhari region.

Among others, one of the highlights of the fest this year were the hikers sighting the elusive snow leopard, the national bird ravan, the Himalayan black bear, blue sheep and marmots.

About 50 visitors, in groups with local guides hiked to Tshophu, Lhaliphu, Bagala and Thomphuna. The guided tours, said festival organizers help the local community generate income besides the fest also providing a forum for them to market their dairy produces.

Health camp: A resident gets his BMI checked during the mountain festival

Through various events such as the horse race among the community’s men, the festival, which the Department of Forests and Park Servcies’ director general Chencho Norbu opened on October 7 also showcased local culture and tradition and encourage yak herding among the people in the highlands.

Unlike in the last two festivals, this year, a team of five officials from the Faculty of Nursing and Public Health (FNPH) joined the community and provided a free health checkup. The Bhutan Foundation, which had supported the first two festivals, funded the health camp, which the people received well, said park officials.

“The health checkup, which was done for the first time benefitted the communities including park officials,” Jigme Dorji National Park manager, Lhendup Tharchen said. “Given the long distance that people have to travel to avail health care, the check up saw a good turn out.”

About 100 people got their health checked, the dean of FNPH, who led the team Dr Chencho Dorji said. “We checked their Body Mass Index and people were quite happy to get the facility, even though there is a BHU there,” he said. “Those who were found with hypertension and high sugar levels were asked to visit a hospital.”

The teachers and students of Jomolhari School also participated in the fest with cultural programs while an art competition was also organized for the students.

“The main objective of the festival is to strengthen community based conservation by involving the communities,” Lhendup Tharchen said.

The Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP) with the gewogs of Tsento and Soe organized the Nu 5.5M festival that the Tourism Council of Bhutan funded. The festival is held every year on the 25th and 26th day of the eighth month of the Bhutanese Calendar.

Source: Kuenselonline

Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO): Regional tourists will be able to process tourist permit online

Regional tourists will be able to process tourist permit online if the government agrees to the request from the Association of Bhutanese Tour Operators (ABTO).

The ABTO recently wrote to the government to make the service online, and the association is hopeful of a positive response. “We are yet to hear from the government,” ABTO’s Executive Director Sonam Dorji said.

Regional tourists coming in by road today need to show up in person at the border check points to process their tourist permit which will be valid for Thimphu and Paro dzongkhags only. If they plan to visit other dzongkhags, they need another permit from Thimphu.

Regional tourists coming in by air do not need to process the permit for Paro and Thimphu dzongkhags like those coming by land. However, they also need to avail another permit from Thimphu if they wish to visit dzongkhags besides Paro and Thimphu.

“So far, only dollar paying tourists can apply for permit online,” Sonam Dorji said. “It takes time for regional tourists to process permit at the Phuentsholing international border.”

Last year about 85,000 of the total 133,000 tourist arrivals were regional tourists, out of which 68,000 were from India. Regional tourists comprise tourists from India, Maldives and Bangladesh and officials argue that it has become important to transfer the issuance of the permit online.

Tour operators believe that the proposed system would not only reduce hassle for regional tourists but also help formalise the informal tourism in the country. Those tourists coming in on their own without routing through tour agents are called informal tourists.

Sharing his personal view, home minister Dawa Gyaltshen said he was positive about the idea although the government is yet to reach a consensus. “In this era of ICT, I think we need to do that in future,” lyonpo said, adding that the cabinet hasn’t been able to sit in the recent weeks.

Indian tour operators also raised the issue when they recently attended the Indo-Bhutan tourism conclave in Thimphu. They said it was a hassle for regional tourists to process the permit, which they said takes time.

An Indian tour operator from West Bengal who attended the conclave said having to wait for hours at the border check point to avail permit was a big problem for regional tourists. “I have been visiting Bhutan for quite sometime and I had to wait for four hours to avail my permit to Bhutan,” he said

“We have to come in person, which is a big hindrance for the growth of Bhutanese tourism industry itself,” he said. If tourists can book permits online, he said they could do that in advance and make a secured trip to Bhutan.

Some tourism officials said that the introduction of the proposed system would contribute in bringing regional tourists during off-season. Bhutanese tourism being seasonal in nature is the main constraint the industry is facing today, according to officials.

Indian tour operator Rajat Goswami said services such as issuance of permits should be made easier. He said regional tourists are equally important for Bhutan, as are dollar-paying tourists.

“We give business when Bhutan has nothing. It’s not alternative business,” he said.

Indian tour agents said they also receive late responses from their Bhutanese counterparts. “People these days have no patience,” he said. “But we get response from Bhutan counterparts very late,” he said

Source: Kuenselonline