Key Points
Most foreigners who have heard of Bhutan know two things: the country charges international visitors a $100/day sustainable development fee (aka tourist tax), and that it is the birthplace of the Gross National Happiness Index, a system intended to look after the well-being of citizens and the environment.. ..
While there are a few outposts of the upscale Le Meridien and Aman hotel chains, for example even the capital is mostly bereft of corporate logos.. . Entrepreneur Chokey Wangmo thinks its unlikely that corporations like McDonalds and Starbucks would ever come to Bhutan not because of local policies or customs, but because it wouldnt be a profitable market for them.. . Our population is so (small), we wouldnt be able to even get the money back for the franchise in the next 10 years, says Wangmo, who runs several businesses in the southern Bhutanese town of Gelephu, including a coffee shop.. ..
He compares this to the current trend of young people leaving to work and study abroad.. . Parents feel that, Oh, that neighbors son or daughter is going to Australia, I have to send (mine) as well.. . Temphel echoes those sentiments, saying he is worried that Bhutan will have a big population imbalance with more old people than young ones, similar to other Asian countries like Japan and South Korea.. ..
She gives several examples of workplace culture that she thinks have made it harder for business owners: for example, she couldnt find a bank in Bhutan that would allow her to fill out account paperwork online instead of going in person.. . Wangmo says that things like meeting scheduling, out-of-office messages, and online customer service generally dont exist in Bhutanese offices.. ..
Most jobs in Bhutan require traditional dress a one-piece garment called a gho paired with knee-high socks for men, and a two-piece jacket and skirt set called a kari for women to be worn while working, but some will swap into jeans and T-shirts on weekends.. . Temphel, of Green Bhutan, says that the Bhutanese mindset is community-centric, where everyone knows each other and looks out for each other..
