In 2018, I obtained my license after completing three months of training and assessment. Later on, I pursued additional training to become a trekking guide. According to the Ministry of Labor, receiving this license means I am officially employed.
After COVID, there were new policies, rules, and regulations. I even had to go through another assessment. The tourism logo changed from “Bhutan — happiness is a place” to “Bhutan — believe.” The Tourism Council of Bhutan merged with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, becoming the Department of Tourism.
But despite all these changes, tourist numbers took a nosedive. To attract visitors again, they had to lower the SDF, monument fees, and launch massive marketing campaigns. People were upset — guides, hotels, travel agents. But many opted to embrace the changes, hopeful for better outcomes.
I recently watched a YouTube video shared in a group chat. It featured a tourist visiting Bhutan who proudly says: “Right up until last year, you could only visit the country if you had a tour guide by your side 24/7. That rule has now ended, though you do still have to pay a sustainable development fee of 100 US dollars for every day you spend here.”
Some guides expressed their dissatisfaction. One of them said: “If this continues, a job called tour guide will cease to exist. And will generate more unemployment.”
Me: There are thousands of guides in Bhutan. We won't disappear that easily.