More than nature and ancient culture: Bhutan develops adventure and music tourism

BHUTAN – Taktsang Monastery, famously known as Tiger’s Nest, stands as one of Bhutan’s most iconic landmarks.

Many visitors consider the journey to this breathtaking site – perched on a cliffside 3,120m above sea level – a must. Given the steep and winding terrain, travel guides typically advise allocating five to seven hours for the 6.5km round-trip hike.

But it is incorrect to call it a hike, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay tells The Straits Times in an interview at the country’s Parliament building.

“It’s a walk. It’s a pilgrimage,” he says of the route leading to the sacred Buddhist sanctuary.

Despite that, Bhutan – famed for its scenic natural beauty and ancient Buddhist culture – is looking to draw those who are into hiking and other adventure sports. It offers mountain biking trails that range from the picturesque to the demanding, as well as rafting in Punakha, a city around 70km from the country’s capital Thimphu.

Travellers can also embark on hikes to remote campsites, led by a team comprising a professional guide, cook and camp assistant.

“In many cases, you won’t even meet other Bhutanese,” Mr Tobgay says.

The Prime Minister was sharing his insights with this reporter, who was part of a Singapore media delegation hosted by Chan Brothers Travel to Bhutan in July.

The travel agency signed a memorandum of understanding with Drukair, Bhutan’s national carrier, in Singapore on July 4. The agreement commits the agency to scheduling a total of 30 chartered direct flights over 2025 and 2026. Each five-hour flight, using an Airbus A319 aircraft, can accommodate up to 118 passengers.

Currently, Drukair operates twice-weekly flights between Singapore’s Changi Airport and Bhutan’s Paro International Airport, with a 45-minute stopover in Indian city Guwahati.

This agreement also formalises an existing partnership. The 60-year-old agency has been offering chartered direct flights and tours to Bhutan for more than a decade, starting with one such flight in 2013, says its executive director Chan Guat Cheng. In 2024, it had six chartered direct flights.

“Bhutan has maintained its unique position as one of the world’s most thoughtful destinations, balancing tourism with cultural preservation and environmental responsibility,” says Ms Chan. “The collaboration will provide Singapore travellers with enhanced access to Bhutan.”

Tourists welcomed

Sometimes referred to as the last remaining Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan also has a reputation for being exclusive to high-end travellers.

When it reopened to tourists after Covid-19 in September 2022, the country raised its sustainable development fee from the US$65 (S$83) a day it had charged for the past three decades to US$200 a day.

Since June 2023, it has lowered the fee to US$100 a day. Visitors also have to pay for a visa, which costs US$40.

Indian nationals are the exception – they pay 1,200 rupees (S$17.90) a day and do not need a visa.

The revenue generated from the fee supports initiatives benefiting Bhutan’s environment and population of 786,000.

“There is a misconception that Bhutan does not welcome tourists,” says Mr Damcho Rinzin, director of the Department of Tourism at Bhutan’s National Tourism Office.

He says tourism is crucial, serving as Bhutan’s second-largest revenue earner after hydropower. “We want tourism to improve the country and the lives of our people.”

Isolated for generations, Bhutan opened to tourists in 1974, when it received 300 visitors. The number

soared to 315,600 in 2019,

based on data from the Tourism Council of Bhutan.

Post-pandemic, the kingdom is still working on regaining tourism numbers. In 2024, it had 145,065 arrivals, up 41 per cent from 2023.

It aims to welcome 200,000 visitors in 2025 and has set a target of 300,000 for 2026, says Mr Rinzin.

The modest numbers are deliberate and in line with Bhutan’s longstanding “high value, low volume” approach, which aims to attract visitors who genuinely appreciate its culture, environment and way of life.

Mr Rinzin says: “It is very important that both tourists and our people have their own space to enjoy. You don’t want to go to a place where there are tourists everywhere.”

His perspective resonates with this reporter. During my recent visit, I do not having to jostle with crowds at renowned locations such as Tiger’s Nest, Punakha Dzong and Dochula Pass. My pictures are free from photobombers.

Granted, my visit is during the low travel period in summer, so those arriving during the popular seasons of spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) may encounter more tourists.

Indian nationals now lead in tourist arrivals, with around 100,000 visitors a year. This is followed by travellers from the United States, China, Singapore and Britain. In 2024, around 2,000 Singaporeans visited Bhutan, and the number is projected to increase to 3,500 in 2025, says Mr Rinzin.

Modern strides

Another misconception, says Mr Rinzin, is that Bhutan is “very restrictive and backward”. He points out that it is the first country in the world to adopt a crypto tourism payment system through Binance Pay, which is part of leading crypto trading platform Binance Holdings.

Launched in May, the system allows visitors to pay for flights, hotel accommodations, entry tickets to monuments and other travel-related expenses using digital currencies.

In January, British singer-songwriter

Ed Sheeran took his Mathematics Tour to Thimphu

. Performing to a capacity crowd of 23,000 at Changlimithang Stadium in the nation’s capital, this marked Bhutan’s first concert by a major international artiste.

The event, Mr Rinzin says, conveyed Bhutan’s readiness to engage more with the world and give its English-educated youth exposure to international celebrities.

The show’s success has paved the way for the country to further explore music tourism, which kicked off in 2017 when it held its first K-pop festival.

Discussions are under way with show promoters to bring Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams to Bhutan in 2026.

“That’s Bhutan opening up, but at the same time, upholding our values and traditions,” he says.

Uniquely Bhutanese

Even Bhutan’s capital Thimphu is far from being a metropolis. In place of modern skyscrapers, its landscape is studded with low-rise buildings. From hotels to hospitals, these are primarily infused with traditional Bhutanese architectural styles, featuring stone and intricate woodwork.

International brands have a minimal presence in Bhutanese markets.

At Thimphu’s Clock Tower Square, a popular youth hangout, a handful of foreign brands such as German sportswear outlet Adidas and a shop selling South Korea’s Samsung mobile phones can be found alongside a majority of Bhutanese businesses.

Elsewhere, this reporter also observes Chinese electric car BYD showrooms.

Notably, fast-food chain McDonald’s and coffeehouse chain Starbucks – both American companies with a strong global presence – have not yet entered the Himalayan kingdom.

“We have our own beautiful alternatives to these,” Mr Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, Bhutan’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Employment, tells Singapore media in his office.

“You talk about Starbucks. We have our own home-grown coffeehouse chain Bhutan Mountain Coffee. There’s already demand from Thailand and Singapore to buy the coffee beans,” he says.

He believes the absence of these global brands does not lead to a sense of deprivation among its people, even though they are exposed to them on social media.

“Rather, there is appreciation for the past policies that haven’t really encouraged these to come in,” he says.

He adds that travellers appreciate Bhutan’s unique character. “They tell us: ‘Please keep it this way because there is something different here.’”

To those who have yet to experience what the kingdom has to offer, he urges them to visit soon, adding: “It’s such a nice destination, you would feel it is worth paying for.” 

The question remains how soon the country will achieve its tourism numbers, which will help revive its economy.

This reporter, while catching her breath on the arduous ascent to Tiger’s Nest, finds encouragement from fellow hikers – no, pilgrims. “Almost there, keep going,” strangers tell one another.

Perhaps the same sentiment can be applied to the target.