Travel responsibly, says international explorer & traveler Mandip Singh Soin

Guwahati: Mandip Singh Soin FRGS, a prominent international mountaineer, explorer, adventure travel expert, environmentalist, speaker and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society is in Guwahati to explore the state. On December 6, he interacted with the students of Royal Global University (RGU) in an event organized at the university.

RGU Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr.) S P Singh, Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua, Retd. IAS officer and chairperson of Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Retired Professor of Cotton University Prof. Ranjit Choudhary, Guwahati Commissioner of Police Harmeet Singh and many other distinguished guests, students and faculty members were present during the event.

Soin, while sharing his experiences, narrated how at the age of 14, he started participating in climbing expeditions while studying at The Air Force School under Hari Dang. While studying at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and during his early climbing years, he started playing an activist’s role for several environmental causes along with his expeditions.

Stressing on the need to be environmentally conscious, he said, “Travel responsibly and when you go for holidays, don’t carry single use plastic bottles, instead carry a water bottle.” 

Soin has campaigned for the cause of environmental protection with concern for forests, wildlife, nature, communities, and sustainable tourism in India. He is the Honorary Founder President of the Ecotourism Society of India, former member of international committees such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association, a Trustee of the Himalayan Environment Trust.

For the last three decades, he has visited over 50 national parks and sanctuaries all over India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, etc., to assess ecotourism potential, and lay out strategies for the government and the tourism industry in India and worldwide.

As chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association India Chapter’s Environment & Ecotourism Committee, he was successful in getting the Indian travel industry to sign an environmental pledge in 1992.

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