NAT Responsible Travel Practices

Namgay Adventure Travels: Our Role in promoting Responsible Tourism is small but meaningful and adds much to the preservation and promotion of our country’s unique cultural heritage, environmental preservation, promotion of sustainable development and establishment of good governance which are our four main pillars of Gross National Happiness, the sole guiding development principle of our country.

For Namgay Adventure Travels Responsible Tourism means implementing practices that are respectful of natural and cultural environment and which contributes in an ethical manner to the local economic development. Building close relationships and working alongside our local communities to develop a sustainable and culturally sensitive tourism industry that aims to bring long-term social, economic and environmental benefits.

Our government ensures that tourism development does not happen at the cost of our environment, culture and traditions. Not all of our products are open for tourists. For example, the Bhutanese believe that the mountains are sacred and that they are the abode of local deities and therefore, should remain sacred. Although a few mountains were open for climbing earlier it has been banned since then in respect to the wishes and sentiments of the local residents. The wishes and sentiments of our local residents are respected.

It is our aim that visitors will appreciate Bhutan through its living culture and pristine environment and the people of Bhutan will in turn benefit from their interaction with our visitors.

Namgay Adventure Travels encourage Economic Responsibility:

•We employ content local support staff at the office and use local services on our trails.

On rotation basis, individuals from different villages generate income through pottering from village to village, assisting as cook, or village guide, community distinctive cultural performances, sales of typical community crafts, vegetables, dried fruits and other agricultural products and community campsite fee. In this way we are able support the livelihood of the local community in the area and to create more awareness on the preservation and promotion of our natural, environmental, and cultural heritage.

•We stay at farmhouses and local Bhutanese owned hotels for overnights.

We are able to spread the economic benefits of tourism to small local accommodation providers. Our guests are able to receive insight into local culture and ways of life.

•We introduce you to local artists and local handicrafts.

We are able to support small scale family businesses and provide an essential source of income for the rural craft communities in Bhutan on our tours. Zorig Chusum’ (Thirteen Traditional Art & Crafts) contributes significantly to the preservation and promotion of our country’s unique cultural heritage which is one of our four main pillars of Gross National Happiness, the sole guiding development principle of my country.

• We use animal transport during our treks.

Trekking provides an opportunity to directly benefit the local economies in the trek areas by using the services and products available locally. For our guests trekking has the benefit of creating a situation where our guests can make direct contact with the local community and our guests are able to receive insight into local culture and ways of life.

Namgay Adventure Travels supports Environmental Responsibility: Our guided tours follow strict cultural procedures. Our groups are briefed on suitable behavior earlier to the tour departure. We want to preserve the culture of Bhutan that you've read about !

• Environmentally sensitive transportation during cultural tours

We ensure that all our vehicles have an exhaust-gas analysis (emissions inspection) done. We walk to close by destinations instead of driving. Our itineraries adopt walking culture because walking tours are the best way to really explore and discover an area. By minimizing the use of vehicles, we can contribute in saving fuel and maintaining a sound environment, besides keeping ourselves in sound health.

I walk to office every day and use public transport to travel out of town.
My contribution is small but nonetheless worthwhile and enjoyable.

Namgay Adventure Tour safeguarding the Environment

• As land farming is localized (livestock on the plateaus, crops in the valleys), the impact of human presence on the landscape remains low. We make our staff and guests aware that we count on all involved in the tour to leave these natural areas as clean as possible.

• We remind our staff and guests to pick up all trash throughout our walk and take the time to leave our own camps clean. Sort and bring the most polluting waste back (batteries, etc...) Regroup waste and burn it.

• We prefer to boil and cool water for drinking rather than buying lots of plastic water bottles that will only increase the amount of waste.

• Wash our laundry away from water sources that serve as drinking water for people or for animals (horses, yaks, etc...).

Namgay adventure travels take in Social Responsibility: Our guided tours follow strict cultural procedures. Our groups are briefed on suitable behavior earlier to the tour departure. We want to preserve the culture of Bhutan that you've read about!

We look forward to sharing the delight of Bhutan with you in an environmental friendly approach. Put your work aside, relax and email us your ideas for a trip at: contact us and WELCOME TO BHUTAN .

Your feedback is very important to us. It will help us to identify areas where we can improve our Responsible Tourism Practices and services and better understand the needs in our community.