New York-based Geoffrey Weill Associates (WEILL) has been appointed by the Tourism Council of Bhutan to handle its communications in the United States. “We are immensely honored to have been invited to work with the Kingdom of Bhutan,” says Geoffrey Weill, “as it reopens to the world.”
Bhutan, high in the Himalayas, and one of the world’s ultimate bucket-list destinations, reopens its doors to guests on September 23; the Kingdom closed to tourism in early 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. On September 23, says Weill, four flights will arrive at Bhutan’s Paro International Airport, bringing the first visitors to Bhutan in more than two years. They will be greeted with gala Bhutanese welcoming ceremonies.
The reopening of Bhutan will bring with it a sea-change in how the Kingdom receives its guests – with individual travel now permitted, instead of the former need to travel only with a certified tour operator. Visits to Bhutan require payment of a daily Sustainable Development Fund (SFD) fee, which “enables investment in transformative programs that preserve cultural traditions, protect the country’s heritage and environment, upgrade infrastructure, create opportunities for young people, and build resilience.”
Two major events in the near future are invitations to travel the Trans-Bhutan Trail, and to participate in the Snowman Race: full details of these will be issued after September 23. Also on September 23 the Tourism Council will unveil the kingdom’s new tourism branding.