Gross National Happiness is a noble philosophy first thought by the fourth king of Bhutan, His Majesty JigmeSingyeWangchuk. It is different from GDP in that GDP focuses on consumerism and neglect many other important considerations like the environment and basic emotional aspects of human beings. GNH on other hand regards GDP as important but only as a means to achieve a higher end, which is emotional well-being. It focuses on human happiness as the central theme to overall development. The concept is born from the Buddhist philosophy that human desire is endless and that happiness results from being content with what we have, however small or insignificant that may be.

GNH is all about people’s happiness. The unique development philosophy stresses the importance of striking the right balance between the material and spiritual development and stresses that the two will have to take place side by side.

Good governance is crucial for any nation to survive and for good policies to develop so that the other GNH pillars we just talked about could actually be realized. Good governance ensures transparency and accountability, which are critical in the establishment of a good democratic system for any nation

Being in Bhutan will provide that unique opportunity to the tourists to see for themselves the ‘Bhutanese’ happiness and interact with the Bhutanese themselves to discover our unique formula for happiness.

A glance at the format and concept of GNH

GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS (GNH)

Sustainable and Good Equitable Governance Socio-Economic Environmental Conservations Cultural Promotion
  Living standard   ecology   community   culture
  election
  health
  education

DOMAINS OF GNH & INDICATORS

Sustainable and Equitable Socio-economic Development Environmental Conservation Cultural Promotion Good Governance
  Living Standard: self reliance, security, sustainability, adequacy, lack of shame   Ecology: interdependence, eco-consciousness, non-utilitarian, non-doministic, aesthetic, nature reverence, naturalistic   Psychological well-being: compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, other wholesome emotions, generosity, empathy, calmness   good citizenship, integrity, justice, farsightedness, non-discriminatory, trust, wisdom, empowerment, credibility, genuine dialogue, commitment.
  Health: vitality, fitness, soundness, self worth, prevention, precaution, non-malignance   Culture: identity, non-alienation, dignity, diversity
  Education: creativity, openness, diligence, insightfulness, patience, preservance.   Community Vitality: altruism, reciprocity, hospitality, sociability, trust, fairness, equality, cooperation, cohesion, family closeness, unity
  Time use and balance: stress freeness, bonding, serenity, healthy lifestyles, tranquility

GNH is a holistic development concept, which lays strong emphasis on equitable socio-economic development whereby not only the economic factors are taken care of but the social factors that affect people are also

given equal importance.
Presevation Promotion of Culture Bhutan

Culture and tradition if not preserved and promoted could lead to their disappearance. A nation derives its uniqueness from the kind of culture and tradition it has. Moreover, culture and tradition are importance since they define the value system of a nation.

Jakar Dzong Festival

Environment is required so that our planet can live and survive. Without giving the due care to environment, the ecosystem will be endangered. Humans are only a link in the whole ecosystem and the not the “master” of it as sometimes we are given to believe. In fact, as intelligent beings, we form an important connection within the ecosystem since we can do a lot to keep the ecosystem and hence and the environment safe.