Mandip Singh Soin is a pioneer in the world of adventure travel having set up Ibex Expeditions in 1979. He is a Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award recipient from the President of India and has also received the Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society (UK)and the Citation of Merit by the Explorers Club (USA). He is also the Founding President and Member, Governing Body, of the Responsible Tourism Society of India.
Q: You are a global pioneer of adventure tourism. Where does the Northeast stand in the global tourism stakes?
A: At the moment it’s way down the ladder since it’s never really had sustained publicity of its geographical & cultural assets and at the same time the much-needed boutique hotels and lodges spread over key locations that would be part of an itinerary.
Q: Do you feel the tourism potential of the Northeast has been tapped adequately?
A: Nope. Herein lies the great opportunity to harness responsibly, all the wonderful experiences that the Northeast can provide, be it the Himalayan mountain expeditions in Arunachal Pradesh or the treks across many states. The fact that one can do a rafting expedition or a trek with a very unique and strong local cultural immersion as one goes along, is amazing and needs articulation.
Once there are trained guides and the availability of quality equipment and medical-cum-rescue outposts, etc, things will start to happen. However, the adventure experiences need to be created keeping in mind the domestic and international travellers and the palettes can be different for both.
Q: What role is the Responsible Tourism Society of India playing in promoting responsible tourism practices in the Northeast?
A: We have run Ecotourism and Responsible Travel workshops in some of the states like Assam in the past and are always happy for the states to become Members of the Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI) because then the engagement deepens with state-specific needs.
Also, since we have an MOU with the Ministry of Tourism and the UNEP we act as their Advisors/Think Tank and many of the actions will help the Northeast, of course. One of them is the Responsible Traveller campaign and the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 where carrying capacity studies become mandatory before the state can get money from the Centre.
Q: As a tour operator, what are some of the challenges you face in the Northeast?
First, the lack of quality eco-sensitive, architectural integrity engrained boutique hotels and lodges. Then comfortable vehicles like Innovas even in the hinterland, better air connectivity (that’s starting to improve now), very good trained outdoor guides and equipment, etc as articulated earlier. Another aspect that actually plagues the whole country is quality loo stops and cafés en route the road journeys.
Q: What would you say is the ideal tourism model for Northeast India?
A: Make the entire Northeast come alive as a Sustainable Tourism destination keeping the accent on Quality tourism experiences and don’t run after numbers of Tourists alone!
Promote its growth as an organic evolution and beware of making it an OverTourism destination like Ladakh that sits on the brink of that issue!
States can cooperate to evolve itineraries that are not just state-specific but others that do two or more states at a go.
Q: What are some of your own standout travel memories of Northeast India?
A: An amazing road journey through Arunachal Pradesh, converting hunters to bird-watching guides in Nagaland and rafting on the Siang apart from the amazing Brahmaputra River cruise woven in with the wildlife experiences are unforgettable.
