Responsible travel

At Ibex, we take pride in immersing ourselves in meaningful humanitarian efforts, interactions with local communities, purchasing from Non Governmental organizations (NGO’s) and promoting Eco Tourism, thus making a positive difference to the places we visit and the people we meet along the way. In the 32 years since its inception, Ibex Expeditions has added community/NGO/ environmental engagements in most of their trips, be they cultural, adventure, luxury or nature related. In 2009, Ibex became representatives with a Volunteering organization in the UK and this has helped heighten the focus and level of community engagement and benefit.

Ibex commitment to the community:

• To ensure volunteer placements are beneficial
• To match community needs with volunteer SKILLS, as a priority
• To ensure that the local people will NOT subsidize volunteers
• To ensure that the relationship with the community as LONG TERM and SUSTAINABLE

Ibex Expeditions has already identified sites where responsible volunteering can be undertaken, be it in the Himalayan areas, Rajasthan or South India and even in the North East. In an effort to broad base responsible tourism through the Indian Industry and the benefits tourism can bring, Mandip became the Founder President of the Ecotourism Society of India. He sits on the National Advisory Council of the Ministry of Tourism to help with policy making and change; the Sustainable Tourism Committee for PATA International; the National Tourism Committee for the Confederation of Indian Industry; and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and is a Judge for the ‘Tourism for Tomorrow Awards’ of the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Ibex commitment to the volunteers and communities:

• To bring rewarding, challenging and safe experiences for volunteers and local people alike, where at least 80% of volunteers' funds are spent in the host country.

• TO work closely through community relationships that make it possible to identify appropriate placements for each individual volunteer.

Ibex Expeditions have themselves been recipients of the PATA Gold Award, the PATA Discovery Award, the WTM Environmental Company Award and the Green Globe Award. Besides this, the National Geographic Adventure magazine nominated them amongst ‘Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth’.

Some of these areas of work for responsible volunteering are:

• Community development
• Education development 
• Business & Administration
• Practical skills
• Health & Social Care
• Working with children
• Wildlife Science & Conservation