Carissa Nimah is the Chief Marketing Officer at the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Bhutan. She is also a member of the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) working team, for which she was part of the historic Australia visit by His Majesty the King. She is Australian. Before moving to Bhutan, she spent the majority of her time abroad working in hospitality.
I first met Carissa at the Bhutan Innovation Forum, where she spoke clearly about Bhutan’s tourism policy and the industry’s future plans. Our paths crossed again in her office at the DOT, where I spent an hour with her, with the attempt to get to know her better.
Tashi Wangmo : Where in Australia are you from?
Carissa Nimah: Brisbane, Queensland, in Eastern Australia. Queensland is a tourist state– rest of the people from the country visit us. It is becoming a hotspot for Bhutanese living in Australia as it’s more affordable compared to places like Sydney. Brisbane is next to the Gold coast, the second most popular beach in Australia, and Queensland is home to the Great Barrier Reef. So I grew up with a lot of nature.
I lived 22 years of my life outside of Australia. I’ve worked in places like Dubai and Thailand. Before I got the job offer at the Department of Tourism, I was in Hua Hin, Thailand, where I was about to purchase a house. However, that fell through, and it worked out for me to take this job, and move to Bhutan. I loved my job in Thailand.
Did you know anything about Bhutan prior to working here?
I didn’t. I hadn’t crossed paths with a lot of Bhutanese after leaving Australia, and being in Thailand, where Bhutan is one flight away, it would have made sense for me to think about Bhutan more often. However, I knew a Bhutanese in Bangkok who played golf. I spoke to him as part of the job interview preparation. I also watched the Prime Minister’s Ted Talk, and the Oscar nominated movie, A Yak in the Classroom. When I got the job, my Bhutanese friend was surprised since there aren’t a lot of foreigners working in the government here.
How long have you been working at the DOT, and what has your experience been like?
Since September 2022. My experience has been very transformative. It’s also been very rewarding, where I’ve made new friends. I’ve learnt more about Buddhism and Spirituality and I feel I’ve a work-life balance here; the Bhutanese don’t work themselves to the bone; The Bhutanese know how to enjoy life.
At the Bhutan Innovation Forum, you spoke about Bhutan changing people. Can you elaborate?
Bhutan has taught me and my family about consumption. There’s a limited number of things you can get here which can make you more appreciative for the things you can find. For instance, when we travel, we become a little bit more appreciative of the variety of restaurants. And every weekend we go hiking with our dog–the connection with nature is very strong here.
I think it changes tourists in a different way. Most of the time they are blown by the kindness of the Bhutanese. I recently had friends visiting from Thailand and that was their overwhelming reaction. Bhutanese culture is about kindness; Everyone is willing to be helpful. It also teaches you to slow down.
Do you believe there are areas for improvement within the DOT and the tourism industry as a whole? For instance, some of the feedback we’ve received is regarding the quality of the food.
The restaurants lack creativity. A lot of the places have buffets, which shouldn’t be the dominant thing. Some places are trying but overall, the food is not very exciting. Additionally, there aren’t enough skilled people in sales and marketing. Bhutanese tour agencies and hotels would benefit from training their staff better – by providing them exposure.
You were part of the historic trip to Australia with His Majesty the King. Can you share with us your experience?
I still have my boarding pass that says Paro to Sydney. It was surprising—and a little overwhelming—to see the sheer number of Bhutanese expats in Australia. I also loved witnessing the other Bhutanese on our traveling team experience Australia for the first time.
What’s next for Carissa Nimah?
I’ve recently joined the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) team, though my work with the DOT continues. GMC and Tourism are closely related, and with Gelephu’s two national parks, we’ve been brainstorming on building guest experiences and basic infrastructure.