New airline launches to bring more tourists to "land of happiness"
In another sign that the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is increasingly opening itself up to the outside world, a second airline has launched out of the landlocked country that will make travel to the elusive spot a little more accessible.
The launch of Bhutan Airlines breaks the longstanding monopoly held by the country’s state-owned Drukair.
According to the Bangkok Post, the privately-owned carrier consists of a single aircraft, a 144-seat Airbus that will be based out of Bangkok as most international travelers fly into Bhutan's Paro airport via the Thai capital.
Tickets will be priced at up to 15 percent less than those of Drukair, starting from 22,230 BTN (US$362) for economy class fares, Bhutan Airlines CEO David Young told the paper.
The landlocked country bordered by India and China attracted about 150,000 visitors last year, a whopping 60 percent over the previous year. The top markets included Japan, the US, China and Thailand.
As a tourist destination, the country, known alternately as the land of happiness and the land of the Thunder Dragon, is trying to market itself towards adventure seekers and nature lovers with its snow-capped peaks, untouched wilderness and mystique.
The heavily spiritual Buddhist country is also popular among visitors as a meditative retreat and refuge from modern life, in line with the nation’s philosophy that measures progress by a “Gross National Happiness” (GNH) index rather than the economics-based GDP.
Pillars of the ‘GNH’ include socio-economic equality, preservation of culture, conservation of the environment and good governance.
