Responsible Travel – The Ibex initiatives and commitment
Ibex Expeditions is committed to responsible travel in every journey designed and is engaged in several forums, committees and initiatives that help the cause nationally and internationally.
At Ibex, we take pride in immersing ourselves in meaningful humanitarian efforts, interactions with local communities, purchasing from Non Governmental Organisations (NGO’s), thus making a positive difference to the places we visit and the people we meet along the way.
The result of this approach is real and long lasting. Through our tours, we have benefited several hill communities in education, healthcare, environment, plantation of trees, and support during natural disasters like earthquakes. The purpose is both to meet real and immediate needs and the philosophical belief that all of us are here for the betterment of our environment and our fellow humans.
When working with us this, change can be brought about by volunteering your skills and experience for a few weeks or months or simply purchasing a silk scarf from a local weaver, or donating books to an orphanage. We will help you ensure that what you do is appropriate and sustainable.
In some tours in South India, Ibex has donated eye glasses to silk weavers or supported Tsunami affected families by providing skills and raw materials for their livelihood. We also provide well matched and prepared volunteers to work on-site to preserve and facilitate the quality of life for indigenous peoples in conjunction with local staff. See our Responsible Volunteering page for more details.
Ibex works to create, implement and maintain humanitarian projects in health care, education and community empowerment.
Some initiatives are mentioned below. |
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Environment and Eco-Tourism Handbook
Published by the Ministry of Tourism, 4 editions have been edited by Mandip Singh Soin. The Handbook is aimed at sensitising industry members and stakeholders of tourism to undertake their operations responsibly by signing pledges of right action, be it for tour operation, running hotels, lodges and camps.
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Alternative income for Chambal Residents
An expedition on the River Chambal was taken along with the Madhya Pradesh Ecotourism Development Board to the dreaded but incredibly rich bio diverse region notorious for its bandits. The purpose is to allow local communities to engage in alternate livelihood of ecotourism activities by becoming naturalists and guides. |
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Indo-Pak Friendship expedition to propose making Siachen a Peace Park
In 2002 the year of the mountains, Mandip participated in an Indo Pakistan Friendship expedition in the Swiss Alps to raise the concerns of the Siachen glacier as a Trans boundary Peace Park between the two disputed nations. The project was run under the auspices of the UIAA and IUCN. The project also received an award from the international Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT ). > More |
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Ecotourism Society of India
This is the National body for Responsible Tourism in India and was launched in 2008. With experienced and committed Tourism professionals, Environmentalists, Wildlife experts & State Governments, it aims to be an advocate for responsible tourism actions in all sectors of tourism which will benefit the Environment, the local Communities, our culture & heritage. Mandip is its Founder President. > More
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Helping Access and Conservation issues through the UIAA (World Federation of Mountaineering Associations)
As a member of this committee for over 6 years, Mandip sits on this international body to allow for safe and responsible access into wilderness and natural areas, laying policy and engaging in local issues wherever in the world. He is nominated by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. > More
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Responsible Tourism plan for Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Mandip led the International Ecotourism & Volcano expedition in 2003 to evolve a sensitive tourism policy for the Islands. This was a collaborative effort between the State Government, Ministry of Tourism, Air India & Ibex Expeditions. |
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Climate Change & Carbon Neutrality
As part of the PATA Environment Chapter, we advise governments, the travel industry and airlines to adopt a carbon neutral policy to reduce the carbon footprint which will help alleviate global warming. |
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Turning Hunters into Conservationists (Nagaland)
In an experiment, Ibex initiated a programme with Equations, an NGO along with the Government of Nagaland, in the village community of Khonoma. The aim is to inspire the youth to stop hunting the endangered Blyth’s Pheasant and turn naturalists as an alternate income, thus, evolving home stays which eco tourists can experience. |
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Traffic campaigns
Ibex Expeditions advocates the TRAFFIC (The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network) campaign that focuses on the souvenir trade in order to educate tourists on the awareness of the goods they purchase. The purchase of wildlife and marine products such as corals, endangered marine species, ivory items, shahtoosh shawls, medicinal plants, orchids, live birds and reptile skins of marsh and salt water crocodiles, snakes etc is illlegal and is banned under Law and is a punishable act. So inadvertently , please don't purchase any item that may be in this red list . Instead we would love our clients to be better prepared so it helps making the right shopping choices.The purpose is to protect our endangered species and assist in their conservation.> More |
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“GIVE BACK TO NATURE”
Ibex Expeditions has been selected by WWF-India to partner in their "Give Back to Nature" initiative. Accordingly, Ibex Expeditions Pvt Ltd, India, and WWF-India have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to support this initiative. The mission of WWF-India is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Ibex Expeditions has committed to request every guest of Ibex to ask if they would like to have a minimum of Rs 100 (approx US $ 2) added to their invoice for their trip through Ibex. In turn Ibex Expeditions will also put in this same amount to help with WWF-India's noble cause of trying to save Nature .
We hope our guests would like to be a part of this endeavour . We really value this at Ibex Expeditions and would be delighted if this happens, thus we can also say that Travelers, Tourists and the Tourism Industry members are all doing their bit for the good of Earth. > More |
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GREEN HIKER
WWF’s Green Hiker campaign aims at raising awareness about the vulnerability of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and encouraging tourists and tour operators to adopt responsible practises towards minimising their carbon footprint. Launched in 2009 it is part of the larger ‘Saving Wetlands Sky-High!’ initiative (to conserve Himalayan high altitude wetlands (at altitudes above 3,000 m asl). The campaign propagates the message of ‘Nature leaves a mark on you, don’t leave one behind’.
Ibex Expeditions has come forth to show its support for the campaign and what it stands for. Since its endeavour is to ensure that its trips benefit the environment and local communities, this provides a common platform for an association between WWF-India and Ibex Expeditions.
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Pack For a Purpose
There is need everywhere in the world. It can sometimes be difficult, however, to identify specific needs in places far from home. Ibex believes people fortunate enough to travel to other countries often wish they could make meaningful contributions to help meet the needs of the places they visit. Such contributions are one way of expressing appreciation for the experiences and hospitality they enjoyed in other lands.
Ibex Expeditions's goal is to assist travelers who want to say thank you in this manner, or who simply want to expand their generosity beyond their own communities. The supply lists for destinations are provided directly by the local community-based projects that will receive them, enabling travelers to make informed decisions and bring items which meet the needs of the people who will be using them.> More |
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