𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐩 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐔𝐩 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩

…𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒚

By Kezang Choden

The Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag Administration, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DoT) under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment, will conduct a Tourism Sector Sensitization and Capacity Building Workshop in Samdrup Jongkhar to strengthen preparedness among local tourism stakeholders amid increasing visitor inflow.

The two day workshop will be held on separate dates for different groups of participants. On December 29, the programme is scheduled for hoteliers, tour guides, taxi drivers and other private tourism stakeholders. On December 30, the workshop will be conducted for government officials associated with the tourism sector.

According to the organizers, the workshop aims to enhance awareness and strengthen coordination among tourism stakeholders while building their capacity to support sustainable tourism development in the dzongkhag. The initiative is expected to improve collaboration between the public and private sectors and contribute to the overall growth and quality of tourism services in Samdrup Jongkhar.

Kuenzang Thinley, Vice Chairman of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB), said district level sensitization and capacity building programmes are vital for strengthening the tourism sector. He said such initiatives help ensure consistent service quality across both urban and rural areas by educating local stakeholders on hospitality standards and tourism expectations.

According to him, these programmes also promote sustainable tourism practices, enabling communities to preserve the country’s cultural values and environmental heritage. Kuenzang Thinley added that district based programmes play an important role in diversifying tourism by encouraging visitors to explore lesser known districts.

“This empowers local communities and helps distribute economic benefits more evenly across the country,” he said.
He further noted that these efforts support the country’s position as a high value, low impact destination by equipping tourism stakeholders to respond to emerging trends such as adventure tourism, wellness tourism and eco tourism.
“Training and awareness programmes are playing an important role in improving service quality and professional standards among local hospitality providers across Bhutan,” he said.

“These programmes equip participants with essential skills in customer service, communication and hospitality management. They also raise awareness of industry best practices, hygiene requirements and sustainable tourism principles, helping to ensure a consistent and high quality experience for visitors.”

He added that by strengthening staff efficiency, professionalism and problem solving abilities, the initiatives enable service providers to respond better to the diverse expectations of tourists.

“Exposure to emerging trends and global standards further encourages innovation and a culture of continuous improvement within the sector. Overall, such programmes empower local hospitality providers to deliver reliable, culturally respectful and environmentally responsible services. This contributes to enhancing visitor satisfaction while reinforcing the country’s reputation as a destination committed to quality and sustainable tourism,” he said.

The Department of Tourism stated that the main objectives of conducting the sensitization and capacity building workshop in Samdrup Jongkhar are to enhance awareness and understanding of national tourism policies, standards, licensing requirements and compliance mechanisms among local government officials and tourism service providers.
The workshop also aims to strengthen Samdrup Jongkhar’s position as a responsible and visitor ready eastern gateway destination, while promoting quality service delivery, safety, hygiene and ethical practices in line with the country’s High Value Low Volume tourism policy.

According to the department, the programme seeks to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of local authorities, regional offices and private stakeholders in maintaining and monitoring tourism standards. It further encourages proactive compliance, self regulation and continuous improvement among tourism service providers to ensure a consistent and high quality visitor experience.

The DoT said it plans to strengthen coordination by establishing regular engagement and sensitization platforms that bring together dzongkhag administrations, thromde, regional offices and private tourism service providers. These platforms are expected to improve communication and cooperation among key stakeholders involved in tourism development and regulation.

The department will also focus on clearly communicating regulatory processes, inspection procedures and available support mechanisms to ensure transparency and a shared understanding among stakeholders. This approach aims to reduce confusion and promote compliance through better awareness rather than punitive measures.

In addition, the DoT intends to promote collaborative monitoring and feedback mechanisms, including grievance redress systems and advisory support, instead of relying solely on enforcement. To ensure consistency across the country, local implementation will be aligned with national tourism standards through clear guidance, standard templates and field level technical support.

The Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag Administration observed a significant change in tourist movement following the opening of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Dranga Road, located in the Indian border town of Dranga in Assam, directly opposite Samdrup Jongkhar.

The ICP, which became operational in November 2024, has led to a sharp increase in the number of visitors entering the dzongkhag. According to the administration, the growing inflow of tourists has brought new opportunities as well as responsibilities for the district.

With Samdrup Jongkhar increasingly serving as an eastern gateway, officials said there is a need for better preparedness among local stakeholders to ensure visitors are received in a respectful, orderly and well managed manner.

To address this, the Dzongkhag Administration, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, is conducting the sensitization and awareness programme to strengthen understanding of tourism related rules, regulations and service standards. The programme places emphasis on visitor handling, professional conduct and compliance with national tourism policies.

Officials said the initiative is intended to promote responsible tourism and ensure that the increasing number of visitors have a positive experience while maintaining local values and community harmony. They added that early sensitization and coordinated action would help Samdrup Jongkhar manage the growing tourist inflow effectively and strengthen its position as a visitor ready border town.

The DoT stated that the programme is designed to address critical capacity gaps within the local tourism sector. It noted that many stakeholders continue to have a limited understanding of tourism standards, compliance requirements and licensing procedures, affecting the overall quality and consistency of services.

The department further highlighted gaps in essential skills related to customer service, visitor handling, hygiene, safety and basic hospitality operations, which can directly influence visitor satisfaction and the reputation of the destination, particularly as tourist arrivals increase following improved border connectivity.

According to the department, there is also a need to strengthen service quality management practices, including proper documentation, internal monitoring and self assessment. These practices are important for maintaining standards, ensuring accountability and enabling service providers to identify areas for continuous improvement.
The programme also seeks to improve coordination and communication between local authorities and private tourism service providers. The department observed that weak collaboration can lead to misunderstandings, inconsistent implementation of regulations and missed opportunities to collectively enhance the visitor experience.

In addition, the DoT emphasized the importance of raising awareness on responsible, sustainable, regenerative and culturally sensitive tourism practices. It stressed that as tourism grows, stakeholders must be equipped to protect the country’s cultural values and natural environment while delivering respectful and meaningful experiences to visitors.
The Dzongkhag Administration noted that awareness of tourism opportunities has so far been largely concentrated in the town core areas, while many outlying communities remain less informed and inadequately prepared to benefit from the sector.

Officials said this imbalance has highlighted the need to upgrade basic infrastructure and services beyond urban centres to ensure more inclusive tourism development across the dzongkhag. Through sensitization programmes, participants from both urban and rural areas are expected to gain clearer knowledge of regulatory requirements, service quality expectations and the roles they can play in supporting visitors.

The administration added that improved awareness, combined with targeted infrastructure development, would enable communities outside the town core to participate more meaningfully in tourism activities, enhance visitor experiences and support balanced economic growth while strengthening the dzongkhag’s readiness as a gateway destination.