Dasho Dzongda awards certificates to 24 homestay owners’ and 16 local guides for completing the homestay training, local guide training and visitor center trainings.

On 28^th October, 2016, Dasho Dzongda awarded certificates to 24 homestay owners’ and 16 local guides for completing the homestay training, local guide training and visitor center trainings.

During the award ceremony, Dasho Dzongda said that the destination Haa was just promoted as ‘Day Attraction’ where the community of Haa was not being benefited. With implementation of community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) program, he is expecting there will increase the number of bed nights in Haa.

Sonam Wangdi, a local Guide expressed that he learnt concept of community-based sustainable tourism (CBST) and got opportunity to explore all the places of Haa which he has never been before.

Aum Pema Dema, a homestay owner said that through the training she learnt how to cater the guests starting from how to wash utensils till providing the services. She also said that the living standards of the rural communities is improving each day.

Gyeltshen, Planning Officer of Haa Dzongkhag Administration shared his visitor center training experiences from Japan and he requested everyone to cater their guest in a proper manner.

Besides that, the Community-based Sustainable Tourism (CBST) project team in collaboration with Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) did the assessment of the homestays on 25^th– 27^th October, 2016. Out of 24 home-stays, 11 fulfilled the criteria set by TCB and approved. Rest of the homestays still need some time to renovate and get set to be registered for homestays. All the homestays are very positive that they are trying their best to provide best services among all. And also, they are expecting to receive escalating number tourists each year.

For the rest of the homestays who couldn’t fulfill the guidelines, another assessment will be conducted sometime in April, 2017.