𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝

…𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒆𝒄𝒐-𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚-𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚-𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔

By Tashi Tshewang

Bhutan is taking a significant step toward sustainable tourism with the launch of the Bhutan Green Hotel Standard, announced during a recent tourism forum. The initiative promotes eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and community-based practices among hotels and tour operators, ensuring that tourism growth aligns with the nation’s environmental values.

Hotels and tour operators play a central role in shaping the tourist experience, but their operations often involve high energy consumption, waste generation, and extensive use of resources. Establishing national green standards provides a structured framework to address these challenges, covering key areas such as waste management, energy efficiency, water use, community engagement, and ethical business practices.

For Bhutan, these standards are more than environmental guidelines; they are integral to its brand as a sustainable destination. Implementing them can improve service quality, promote cultural authenticity, and align local operators with global best practices. As modern tourists increasingly seek accommodations and services that demonstrate responsibility toward the planet, such standards offer both environmental and economic benefits.

The main challenge lies in ensuring compliance across diverse businesses, from large hotels to small community-run lodges. Experts stress that training, incentives, and robust monitoring mechanisms will be essential to bring all stakeholders on board. Successfully implementing national green standards could position Bhutan as a leader in regenerative tourism, attracting environmentally conscious travelers while safeguarding its natural and cultural heritage.

Karma Tshetrim, Chief of Standardization at the Bhutan Standards Bureau, said, “The Bhutan Standards Bureau is actively involved in international standards organizations, working tirelessly to ensure that the standards we develop are not only credible but also recognized on a global level. This engagement allows us to learn from international best practices and apply them in a way that suits Bhutan’s unique context. Our goal is to create standards that are practical, achievable, and beneficial to the tourism sector, while also maintaining Bhutan’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.”

His remarks emphasize the bureau’s dedication to bridging Bhutan’s local practices with internationally recognized frameworks, ensuring that tourism operators can meet both domestic and global expectations. He added, “By aligning our tourism sector with global benchmarks, we ensure that Bhutan remains a model of sustainable tourism. These standards guide hotels and tour operators in responsible practices, from energy efficiency and waste management to ethical business operations and community engagement. Ultimately, our work is about supporting the sector in delivering quality services while preserving the country’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations.”

Rinzin Jamtsho, Chief Tourism Officer, Department of Tourism, said, “To thrive in regenerative tourism, Bhutan must meet high global standards that ensure our practices are recognized and respected internationally. Across our hotels and tour operators, many eco-friendly and sustainable practices are already being implemented, reflecting the sector’s commitment to environmental protection and community engagement. However, without proper documentation and reporting mechanisms, these efforts often go unrecognized and are difficult to track or improve systematically.”

His remarks highlight the need for a formal framework to document and guide sustainable practices in Bhutan’s tourism sector. Such a framework ensures accountability, helps improve standards, and demonstrates Bhutan’s commitment to regenerative tourism. It also supports monitoring of impacts and preserves the country’s natural and cultural heritage. He continued, “Formalizing these practices through clear and credible standards is the way forward. By doing so, we can provide guidance to operators, ensure consistency across the sector, and demonstrate to international stakeholders that Bhutan is serious about regenerative tourism. This approach not only strengthens the credibility of our tourism industry but also supports sustainable growth that benefits local communities and preserves our natural and cultural heritage.”

Masaru Takayama, founding chair of the Asian Ecotourism Network, said, “Standards play an essential role across all sectors, and tourism is no exception. They help us set achievable goals, maintain consistency, and ensure accountability in operations. Without clear standards, it is difficult to measure progress or ensure that practices are aligned with broader sustainability objectives.”

He added, “What matters most is that we understand these standards well and implement them carefully, with attention to detail and long-term impacts. This approach ensures that tourism contributes positively to communities, preserves natural and cultural heritage, and leaves a lasting legacy for future generations.”

Rinchen Tshering, National Biodiversity Finance Initiative Coordinator, said, “UNDP has been a long-term partner for Bhutan, supporting various programs that have positively impacted lives. Over the years, we have worked on initiatives across multiple sectors, helping communities, building capacity, and promoting sustainable development.”

His remarks highlight the importance of international collaboration in advancing Bhutan’s tourism sector, showing how partnerships can support infrastructure development, capacity building, and the implementation of green standards. He continued, “In tourism, we have worked closely with the Department of Tourism and other stakeholders to develop infrastructure, and we remain committed to strengthening Bhutan’s journey toward sustainable and green tourism standards. Our aim is to help Bhutan set benchmarks that align with global best practices while preserving its unique cultural and natural heritage.”

The launch of the Bhutan Green Hotel Standard represents a collective commitment to protecting Bhutan’s environment while strengthening its tourism sector. With support from international partners, strong leadership from national agencies, and the active participation of hotels and tour operators, the standards create a pathway for responsible growth that benefits communities and safeguards culture and nature. The challenge ahead lies in effective implementation, but if achieved, Bhutan can set a global example of how tourism can thrive without compromising its values of sustainability and Gross National Happiness.