Ecotourism in Bhutan
By Jonathan Clarke
Bhutan is a country that takes great pride in placing its gross national happiness ahead of its gross national product.
Because of the Bhutanese government's steadfast devotion to the preservation of their country's traditions and strict limits on tourism, you can guarantee that a visit to Bhutan will have a minimal impact on the environment. You'll be able to visit centuries-old Dzongs and temples, explore places no tourist has ever been, climb mountains, delve into vast forests and soak up the local culture.
"Bhutan still has 72% of its land covered by forests and is home to many species of endangered animals and plants."
Bhutan still has 72% of its land covered by forests and is home to many species of endangered animals and plants. Because of the country's policy of gross national happiness and preservation of the natural environment, it has become something of a haven for rare species. Blue sheep, snow leopards, himalayan black bears, golden languars, takins and tigers all thrive in Bhutan and part of this is down to the lack of human intervention.
If you're one of the lucky few tourists who make it into Bhutan every year, you can be fairly relaxed about your environmental impact while you're there, with the only concerns about your carbon footprint focussing on how you get there and your daily travel.
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