The document discusses responsible tourism practices of Wind Horse Travel, a Bhutan-based tour company. It outlines the company's long-term sustainable development strategy, which focuses on minimizing negative environmental, social, and economic impacts. Some key policies include using local accommodations and suppliers, limiting waste, supporting conservation projects, and providing benefits to local communities through donations, employing local staff, and encouraging visits to rural areas. The goal is to ensure tourism in Bhutan has lasting positive effects and supports the country's high value, low impact tourism model.

1. BHUTANTRAVEL. RESPONSIBLY.
View from Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten (Punakha)

2. Bhutan’s tourism sector is regarded as one of the most exclusive
travel destinations in the world. Bhutan enjoys a reputation for
authenticity, remoteness and a well-protected cultural heritage and
natural environment. The Royal Government of Bhutan adheres
strongly to a policy of ‘High Value, Low Impact’ tourism which
serves the purpose of creating an image of exclusivity and high- yield
for Bhutan.
Tiger’s Nest (Paro)

3. Wind Horse
-Responsible
Travel
Company
Wind Horse is an active
member of many associations
including Association of
Bhutanese Tour Operator
(ABTO) and Tourism
council of Bhutan (formerly
Department of Tourism)
which practice and promote
responsible Tourism in
Bhutan. Sustainable and
responsible tourism also have
always been parts of Wind
Horse vocabulary since the
founding of the company, but
like all good causes, it has no
value, unless some objective
and polices are in place.
Therefore we have
implemented some goals and
objectives for our company
and our guests, so that the
world we share, lives and
passes on to our children
and future generations. We
have developed a long term
sustainable development
strategy based on the
operation of Responsible
Tourism Policy categorized
into environmental, social,
and economic development.
We recognize that the
environments, cultures, and
economies of many of the
geographic areas in which
we conduct our business are
fragile, requiring a sustained
commitment to ensure that
any visits have a lasting
positive effect on the local
environment and community.
Which can positively
effect local communities
by providing income,
positive cultural exchange
and financial incentive to
preserve the heritage sites,
community development and
natural environment. When
we have direct contact with
our suppliers, we also ensure
that the suppliers, we choose
to work with, also operate
business in accordance
with Responsible Tourism
Principles we have adopted.
Our sales are focused on
‘small groups’ and ‘tailor-
made travel’ which we believe
is best suited to the tourism
policy of “low impact and
high value” adopted by the
Tourism Board of Bhutan.
For more information:
Write to us
office@windhorsetravel.com
or visit
www.windhorsetours.com
“Sustainable and responsible tourism also have always been
parts of Wind Horse”

4. Small waterfall on the way to Bumthang

5. ENVIRONMENTAL
We conduct our business in a way that
minimizes negative environmental impacts and
raises awareness of Responsible Tourism and
environmental good practice among staff, clients,
suppliers, and local communities. We support
and advocate the government’s policy to maintain
60% under forest cover. Bhutan has very rich
biodiversity and ecosystem, and it is one of the ten
biological hot-spots on earth.
• We encourage and use accommodations which
has environmental friendly policy in place, which
addressesissuessuchas,re-usingtowels,electricity
and water usage, waste management, providing
fair wages to the employees and better working
conditions, use of local farm products etc.
• Appropriate and well maintained transport for the
guests is used to minimize carbon emission and
energy preservation. (Such as fuel efficient SUV
for 2 pax and minivan for small groups comprising
from 4 – 8 pax)
• We minimize printed material; most of our
marketing sales is done through website and
Internet, providing Online catalog, DVD or
CD brochures. Only some necessary labels and
brochures are printed.
• We go all-out to minimize waste in all our
activities, and have zero litter policy.
• Support conservation projects carried out in
participation with local communities in areas
visited by our clients. (We are ready to adopt some
hiking trails and maintain it, in consultation with
the local authorities.)
• We practice and encourage our staff, clients,
suppliers and local communities to minimize
energy consumption (e.g. turn off lights, room
heaters, computers, TVs etc. When not in use).
• Office staffs are required to use papers on both
sides to save resources and minimize paper usage
as much as possible.
• Trekking Regulation issued by the National
Tourism Board is strictly implemented. For
example; we bring back the garbage and put it
into designated areas, restrict the use of campfires,
where it is not necessary.
• We Camp in designated areas to ensure that our
services and activities create the lowest possible
negative impact on the environment.
• During the trek, boiled water is provided at each
camp area for trekkers for drinking and trekkers
are required to bring water bottle for refill.
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) are used for
cooking on trek, thereby having no impact on the
local resources for cooking.
• Most of the treks in Bhutan falls within the
National Park area and so we also guided by their
conservation regulations.
• We always encourage and support when there is
campaign on environmental awareness or clean-
up project advocated by the Tourism Board or by
any other relevant agencies.

6. • We are a member of Tourism Association and we contribute US$10
per every tourist as tourism development fund and like all tourists,
around US$ 65 per each tourist per day goes to the government directly,
which is used for social, welfare of the population in general and also
in the infrastructure developments that develop tourism industry in
sustainable way.
• At our level, direct benefit to the community includes sponsoring annual
village festivals and support donation for the renovation of local heritage
sites such as temples, monasteries, community halls that our clients visit
during their stay. In our own office in Bhutan, 12% of the company’s
profit is also set aside each year as bonus for our permanent staffs, which
comes from these local communities. Guides and local trekking crews
are insured for the duration of the trek. Staffs are encouraged to take
holiday leave and spend time with their families, and rejuvenate. We get
together during lunch breaks and coffee breaks for strong office bonding,
team work and informal discussions including responsible travel. We
use restaurants and retail outlets which employ local people paying a fair
wage, providing safe and healthy working conditions, produce products
in a way that minimises environmental degradation etc. We contribute
economically to local communities by purchasing locally grown /
produced, where possible. When possible, we purchase fresh vegetables
and food from the local communities along the trek routes. We use pack
animals of the local communities for trekking that promote equitable
income distribution and perhaps in small ways also counteract rural-
urban migration. In our itinerary, we incorporate visit of farm house
and offer options for our guests try local authentic cuisine, which gives
unique experience to our clients and extra income to the farmers.
• We empathise with Community based tourism and promote it as one of
the best way of travelling to Bhutan
• We suggest and promote where possible, locally owned and family run
accommodationsratherthanlargeinternationalchainshotels.Wesuggest
home stays for our guests who are interested, believing that not only
does the money from home stay directly benefit the local community,
but guests gain an authentic insight into traditional lifestyles.
• We discourage giving out of gifts such as pens, pencils, sweets, etc, to
the children or locals to stop the acts of begging. Instead, we advise our
clients to perhaps donate it to the schools or institutions they visit.
• Dress code, such as dressing appropriately and taking of shoes and hats
while entering sacred places are conveyed to the clients, so that not only
will the local respect our clients but the locals feel respected of their
culture and beliefs.
• • Visit to the local cottage industry such as Traditional Art Institute,
Handmade Paper factory, local handicraft workshops, Textile Weaving
centre, local Artists and others not only add value to our clients visit, it
also help sustain and encourage traditional local industry.
• Whenever possible, we discourage local communities from selling their
old household items that have social and cultural values.
• We encourage and bring our guests little visited area thus the tourist
expenditure benefits broader geographic areas, rather than the more
popular tourists destinations alone.
• Maximum care is taken to ensure that our operations do not disrupt or
lead to the displacement of local people, and ensure that our type and
scale of tourism is appropriate to local conditions and operates within
the limits set by local appropriate infrastructure and carrying capacity.
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC
We conduct our business in a way that minimises negative social impacts and
raises awareness of Responsible Tourism and social good practice among staff,
clients, suppliers, and local communities. We shall continually try to improve our
performance towards promoting sustainability and economic viability not only as a
company but also for local communities, our service providers or suppliers we work
with and shall when possible raise awareness of Responsible Tourism and economic
good practice among staff, clients, suppliers, and local communities.

7. Don’t just see the place,
MAKE IT BETTER.
Bhutan HQ: 1021, Mothithang, Thimphu (+975-2-326026)
Customer Support: Samphel Building, Phuentsholing, Bhutan (+975-5-252704)
Sales & Support (India): Sector-16, Rohini, New Delhi (+91-9205250502/ 03 / 04)
Write to us: office@desijourneys.com | holidays@windhorsetravel.com
www.windhorsetours.com