Samdrupjongkhar unveils ‘SAMJONG’ tourism brand to boost arrivals
Last Updated on January 7, 2025 5:50 am
Samdrupjongkhar—With the opening of new entry and exit points for international tourists, Samdrupjongkhar is stepping up its efforts to position eastern Bhutan as tourist destination.
Towards this end, the dzongkhag administration unveiled its new tourism brand, “SAMJONG”, designed to unlock the dzongkhag’s full tourism potential.
Under this new initiative, the dzongkhag is developing a range of tourism products, including the Integrated Borvilla Park, Tsho Duen Eco-tourism development, the Kalyoen Yongba Hiking Trail, bird-watching packages, homestays, and eco-friendly campsites.
The SAMJONG brand will drive these efforts by focusing on tourism infrastructure and unique ecotourism products that benefit local communities and protect the environment.
Sonam Wangchuk, the economic development and marketing officer (EDMO) of Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag Administration, said that the dzongkhag administration is addressing infrastructure challenges to unlock its tourism potential. “Our goal is to increase tourist arrivals by 20 percent over the next five years by enhancing the tourism experience, developing new products, and improving marketing strategies.” Tourism development is a key priority for the dzongkhag in the 13th Plan. The SAMJONG brand focuses on sustainable and community-centred tourism. Projects include marketing initiatives, training programmes, and capacity-building efforts to cater to domestic, regional, and international visitors.
The dzongkhag’s tourism strategy prioritises offerings, such as waterfalls, bird watching, agriculture, and livestock products.
The dzongkhag’s promotional efforts include a new tourism brochure, detailed marketing materials, and a Wikipedia page to enhance the digital footprint.
“We have identified performance indicators to monitor and measure the progress of our tourism action plans,” said the EDMO. “Our goal is to achieve a revenue growth of 50 percent or higher for local businesses benefiting from tourism.”
However, challenges such as poor road conditions, underdeveloped amenities, and limited promotion have stymied the tourism potential. With no government-certified tourist-standard hotels currently available, efforts are underway to certify local accommodations and expand options like eco-lodges and homestays.
Given its strategic location as the gateway to eastern Bhutan, tour operator Dechen Lhamo believes Samdrupjongkhar has the potential to become a prime ecotourism destination. “However, basic amenities need to be developed along the Trashigang-Samdrupjongkhar highway and in dzongkhag.”
Tourism numbers in Samdrupjongkhar have remained low, with 1,937 visitors in 2018 and 1,721 in 2019.
The dzongkhag aims to attract 4,000 tourists by 2029, with further increase in tourist arrivals in the following years.
Currently, most visitors are regional tourists, although international visitors have also begun to arrive. On an average, tourists stay for a day and a night, but the dzongkhag plans to extend the average stay by three days, and boost the total number of nights spent by three.
By the end of the 13th Plan, the dzongkhag aims to generate over 170 jobs and increase the number of tourism-related businesses to 40.
A total budget Nu 298.84 million has been proposed for tourism development.
“Our efforts aim to create a sustainable tourism model that benefits local communities while preserving our natural and cultural heritage,” said Sonam Wangchuk.
As of December last year, 41 international and 113 regional tourists entered Samdrupjongkhar through the Darranga entry point in Assam, paying the Sustainable Development Fee.