Bhutanese farmers turn to tourists to save endangered cranes

Dawazam farms the remote Phobjikha Valley in Bhutan. She rises at dawn to tend potatoes, wheat or turnips on her family's land. 

But once her agricultural tasks are done, she picks up her mobile phone to tend to a far more lucrative crop -- tourists. 

For generations the lives of farmers here have been dictated by the seasons as crops come and go. But now they're making a play for traveler dollars too.

Dawazam, 48, is one of the leading lights of the Black-Necked Crane Festival, an event created and launched in 1998 with the sole aim of pulling in tourists.

It didn't come about from greed. The idea is to help conserve both the rare cranes and local communities.

The cranes have increased in number since the festival was conceived.

Return of the crane

The Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), a Bhutanese non-governmental organization, created the festival so farming families could earn extra money from tourism, and be discouraged from using cheaper, chemical fertilizers on their land which would destroy the black-necked cranes' habitat.

These endangered birds migrate from Tibet to Bhutan every winter, mostly to Phobjikha, the Himalayan kingdom's largest wetland area. 

Around 150 villagers are each paid 150 Ngultrum (US$3.35) for performing in the festival, which includes the traditional masked dance. School children receive similar payment for the modern comical routine that mimics the cranes' courtship dance, bobbing their heads and flapping wings.

It's not a huge amount, and Dawazam says that while the growing number of hotels are benefiting from the festival, farmers have yet to make much from it.

More recently, however, the most entrepreneurial farmers are offering homestays, charging tourists around Nu1,280 (US$28) per person for dinner, bed and breakfast.

The festival doesn't add enough for Dawazam to quit her daily farming tasks -- but it helps.

Electricity helps too

Dawazam, who hosted her first guests in February 2011, uses the cash to pay her two agricultural laborers, Nu200 each per day (US$4.40) while she works her large kitchen garden.

"I really enjoy meeting foreign people through the homestay, and it's helping me and my family," she says. "My farm is organic, and although some people use chemicals everyone here is very well informed now, thanks to the festival. They know that if they don't harm the crane lots of people will come here."

Running the festival and hosting guests will be slightly easier this year. Electricity finally reached the valley via an eco-friendly underground cable, so villagers no longer have to use fires for all their cooking and heating.

Meanwhile, with bird numbers up from around 240 in 1998 to 294 last winter, the festival is now being used as a blueprint for successful crane conservation across Bhutan.

getting there

The next Crane Festival takes place from November 7-16. Tour prices start at US$1,879 per person for a two-person group.
For information on visiting the Black-Necked Crane Festival contact Bhutan tour specialist Druk Asia at www.drukasia.com