Archived Articles

Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

Global Real Estate Project
News Index

Directories
  Int'l Realty
  US Realty

• Bhutan and Nepal 2004
  
• Bhutan and Nepal 2005
  
• Bhutan and Nepal 2008
  

Talking about Nepal strategies is less interesting because it applies methods common to many Third World countries with similar natural beauties. As the 19th century American railway magnate Van Horne has spoken about the Rockies: "We can't export them to the public. The only thing we can do is to import the public here." In a sense, Nepal government is trying to do exactly this, to import as many as possible tourists. In good years it manages to get the money of more than 250,000 visitors. New 5-star hotels and other developments in the valleys with magnificent views toward Himalayan peaks offer good value for the money of those who suffer from altitude illness and can't dare to get closer. Last 2-3 years weren't particularly fruitful for the Nepal tourist industry because of the fears linked to the international terrorism. American and British tourists representing more than third of all visitors dropped their interest to Nepal.

Far more interesting is Bhutan, which tries to get as few as possible but as affluent as possible visitors, called in the local lingo "low volume, high value tourism". The official quota is set at 7,000 tourists per year. The only legal way of visiting the country is to use the services of one of eighty or some authorized travel agencies. There is a minimum price set for each tourist per night, which starts from $165.00 during the low season (6 months) to $200.00 and more during the high season (also 6 months). As explained in one tourist brochure for Bhutan, getting to and within the country cheaper is possible but illegal and large penalties can be imposed on the law-breakers. Government-imposed minimum prices for stays cover all expenditures linked to accommodations, meals, land transportation, guides, sightseeing, and inland permits.

The official explanation for this strange tourism policy by the Bhutanese authorities can sound like music to the ears of any ecologically committed person. The reason is to preserve the unique environment of the country and to save its pristine landscape from savage development. Sounds too good to be true especially when it's pronounced by a government, constantly accused of deporting, repressing, torturing and raping its own population and especially the ethnic and religious minorities. Perhaps the real problem isn't to preserve the environment, but to preserve the country and its citizens from the excess influence of foreign experts that would be needed if the country decides to get modernized. In a sense the local citizens are treated by their government as part of the environment. Seeing no foreigners and no foreign artifacts around they should readily accept as normal being subjected to an absolute monarchy.

From Nepal or Bhutan, the view is magnificent

--------------------

See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Bhutan and Nepal.