Bhutan opened its borders to the outside world only in 1974, timed deliberately to coincide with the coronation of the Fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
That very first year, just 287 tourists- a small group of Americans, Spaniards, and one Argentinian- travelled overland into the kingdom, because Bhutan had no airline yet.
From day one, the government committed to a "High Value, Low Volume" tourism policy rather than chasing mass numbers, a philosophy that still shapes every Bhutan tour today.
Drukair, the national carrier, began flying into Paro in 1983 and made travel easier, yet Bhutan has never abandoned its founding principle: fewer visitors, deeper experiences, and every tourism dollar reinvested in the country's health, education, and infrastructure.