The Bhutan Effect: Destination Rebranding & Repositioning

Dolores Semeraro, host of Truth Behind Travel Podcast, interviews Carissa Nimah, Chief Marketing Officer at the Tourism Council of Bhutan.

Bhutan has recently reopened borders to international tourism after 2 and half long years, and to welcome back what they call ‘guests’ instead of tourists – they rebranded the destination, a rebranding with a dual purpose, of which we are going to explain more during our conversation and also how they redesigned unique experiences highlighting the values of the Bhutanese people, the culture and personality and today's guest, is also going to explain the truth behind the increased entry fee to Bhutan which they called SDF sustainable development fee – that now sits at about 200 Dollars per person. 

 Carissa Nima is not new to branding, particularly when it comes to upholding sustainability in tourism and hospitality, she previously worked as Guardian of the Brand with the Soneva Group in the Maldives pioneering many projects that are still – to this date – regarded as destination case studies.

Season 3 Episode 57

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About Dolores Semeraro

Dolores Semeraro is a Tourism & Hospitality Marketing Specialist and International Tourism Keynote Speaker focusing on Tourism Innovation, Recovery Strategies and Travel Resilience with 20 years of experience in hospitality, marketing, and communication. 

During her career, Dolores has worked in Europe, China, The Maldives, and The Republic of Mauritius for some of the most established hotel companies across Asia and the Indian Ocean. 

Tourism Marketing and Digital Communication are Dolores’ key areas of expertise, she pioneered the use of social media for hospitality and tourism in the Maldives since the very early days of the use of social networks. 

Most recently, as the pandemic brought the global outlook of the tourism industry to a halt, Dolores launched the world’s first travel recovery podcast called ‘Truth Behind Travel’ where she interviews tourism industry leaders and travel experts on the core topic of Travel Recovery. Within months from its launch, the podcast ranked #1 in travel and places on Apple Podcast across the Indian Ocean region.

Dolores Semeraro is an internationally recognized tourism keynote speaker and trainer who has inspired thousands of people in the tourism industry to build a stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient future of travel.

In her keynotes, Dolores shares with her audience how to develop sustainable marketing thinking through her action-oriented thought process, which observes the interconnectivity of the stages in the travel product life cycle.

By applying this process, operators in the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors can visibly enhance the longevity of their marketing strategies, effectively rendering them more sustainable in the long term for the well-being of all stakeholders involved.

Dolores is a passionate advocate for responsible travel, sustainability, and innovation. With her signature Mediterranean warmth and straightforwardness, she encourages audiences to challenge their "Business As Usual" status and strive for the improvement of the tourism industry and the well-being of all stakeholders.

Through her decades-long experience in the industry, she has motivated hoteliers and tourism professionals to take action, enhance their communication, and create a purposeful and innovative tourism ecosystem.

She also advocates for slow travel, exemplified by her extensive travels with her husband and beloved dog in their campervan. When not chronicling ...