Karma Tshering

Dr Karma Currently serves as the Managing Director of BTFEC. Prior to this position he served as a freelance consultant for close to eight years in the field of conservation and ecotourism after leaving his services under the Department of Forests and Parks where he started his career spanning over 20 years. Obtained his masters from University of Edinburgh and PhD from University of Sydney on conservation and sustainable tourism. He started his career as the National Tiger Coordinator under the Department of Forests and Park Services which gave him a perfect opportunity to travel extensively within Bhutan. As a firm believer of incentive-based conservation, he was instrumental in promoting nature recreation and ecotourism programs under the Department of Forests and Parks. Some of the highlights in his life have been serving as a voluntary militia officer (close to 5 years), conducting tiger surveys in the grasslands of Nepal, internship in some of the iconic National Parks of USA, and evaluating tourism campsites in Serengeti and Masai Mara (Africa) in the capacity of a National Geographic evaluator. As a proactive person he has founded the Bhutan Sustainable Tourism Society (BSTS) to create an informal forum for like minded people to support and promote the growth of sustainable tourism in Bhutan. His other professional affiliations include Board member for Asian Ecotourism Network, International evaluator for National Geographic and Beyond Green to promote Green travel, and Chair of the IUCN Green list program of Bhutan.