Responsible Tourism in Tibet


Our Tibet Vacations
Tibet tour, Lhasa and Lake Namtso
Surrealistic beauty of Mount Everest and Namtso Lake
Lhasa to Mount Kailash tour, Tibet
3 days pilgrimage kora around Mount Kailash
Tibet cultural tours
Experience life styles of Tibetan people
Bejing to Lhasa tour, by train
Beijing to Lhasa on the famous sky train
Tibet & China biking vacation
A Challenging cycle tour in China and the Tibetan Plateau.
Kathmandu to Lhasa overland tour
Overland trip from Kathmandu to Tibet with Mount Everest
Lhasa small group tour in Tibet
Visit World Heritage Sites in Lhasa City at short 4 days
Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour, small group
Enjoy the panoramic view of fabulous Himalaya Mountain Range
China to Tibet by train, Chengdu to Lhasa
Take photos with cute Giant Pandas and highest Mount Everest
Tibet overland explorer
Travel through the sensational landscapes of the Himalayas and Nepal
Himalayan tours to Bhutan, Tibet and Nepal
Explore stunning Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan
Tibet 6 days sightseeing tour
Tibetan culture & highland scenery: Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse
Tibet pilgrimage tour, Lhasa to Everest Base camp
Lhasa, Shigatze, Gyantze, Mt. Everest Basecamp, Tingri
Lhasa and Namtso Lake tour in Tibet
Visit the cradle of Tibetan civilisation
Tibet pilgrimage trekking tour
Ganden to Samye Tibet trekking route
Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan cultural tours
Cultural, Religion and Nature of Himalayan Countries Vacation
Tibet Gama Valley trekking vacation in Tibet
One of the Top 10 classic trekking routes in the world
Tibet exploration tour
Trek from Tsurphu Monastery to Dorje Ling Nunnery
Lhasa to Kashgar via Mt Kailash
A stunning journey through the isolated lands of Tibet
Northern Tibet adventure tour, Qiangtang to Kailash
Amazing adventure in Northern and Western Tibet
In depth tour of Tibet
Monasteries, holy lakes and Tibet's western wilderness
Central Tibet tour
Explore Central Tibetan Culture, Monasteries and Holy Lakes
Lhasa to Kathmandu overland tour
Overland trip including Tibet Everest Base Camp en route
Tibet vacation by train from China
Experience the world’s highest scenic train to Tibet
Sichuan to Tibet overland tour
Travel the G318 Highway from Chengdu to Lhasa
21 days Tibet 4WD in depth tour
Mt. Kailash Trekking and Guge Kingdom Ruin
Tibet cultural tour
Enjoy fabulous Himalayan mountain scenery & temples
Tibet birding tour
Explore rural Tibet on this specialist bird watching tour
Tibet wildlife vacation, Tibet Plateau mammals
Explore the vast Tibetan Plateau in search of rare mammals
Tibet biking vacation
Exploring Tibet by cycling, a trip of a lifetime
People & culture
Chinese control: a lack of Tibetan identity?
Sadly, the religious consequences of China’s need to occupy and exert power over Tibet are just one slice of a very long-running and brutal pie. Throughout decades of Chinese occupation in Tibet, over one million Tibetans have died as a direct result of conflict. This conflict has divided Tibet geographically too; the land claimed by Tibet would be the world’s 10th largest nation, but parts of the original country have been renamed and incorporated into Chinese provinces, hence Tibet’s current identity: Tibet Autonomous Region, or TAR.
It’s not just China that feels this way; former US president Barack Obama met with the Dalai Lama and urged China to support human rights in Tibet – but insisted he did not recognise Tibet’s independence. The UK was previously the only country in the world not to recognise Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, but in 2008 the then foreign minister, David Miliband, reviewed this opinion, to Tibet’s disappointment. Former Prime Minister David Cameron subsequently reiterated that the UK government officially recognises China’s sovereignty over Tibet, despite meetings with the Dalai Lama. China strongly opposes any meetings between the Dalai Lama and foreign governments.
Unsurprising, then, that Tibet has been repeatedly named as one of the 12 most repressed countries in the world by independent watchdog Freedom House, scoring the lowest possible marks for freedom in both political rights and civil liberties. There are now more Han Chinese people in Tibet than ethnic Tibetans – who are a minority in their own country. Free education provided by the Chinese government has supplanted traditional monastery schooling, Mandarin is taught in nursery schools and unrest is growing; over 100 Tibetan monks have self immolated in protest since 2011.
Understandably, Tibetans see nothing but negative impact from the Chinese and have accused them of suppressing their culture, their freedom of expression and their right to worship whom they want to worship. The Communist authorities disagree, with Chinese leaders pointing out – through the example of major infrastructure projects such as the railway linking Lhasa to Qinghai province – that Tibet is much wealthier under Beijing's rule than it would otherwise have been and there is a significant growth of industry in the region.
The Chinese are a determined people and, in many ways, they should be commended for that. But what it seems they’ve failed to recognise since the 1950s is that traditional Tibetans are unconcerned with commerce and cash. They are a conservative and contemplative people who want the freedom to determine their own futures and who believe in human rights for all – they simply want to be free.
Read more about China’s occupation of Tibet and Tibet’s ongoing struggle via Free Tibet.
What you can do
It seems, particularly where the Chinese are concerned, that this isn’t a case of what you can do, but rather what you can’t. As Westerners, we simply cannot expect to have a completely accurate take on the mindset of the Chinese and the reasons for their actions. Which isn’t to say we have to agree, or even understand, but is to say that storming in with our opinions would likely cause more damage to an already vulnerable situation.
Knowledge is power here, so if you want to understand Tibet’s plight further and learn how you can help, your first port of call should be Free Tibet, an organisation with a whole host of ongoing campaigns aimed at spreading the word about Tibet and securing the rights of its people. Secondly, visit Tibet – it’s a beautiful and mysterious country with so much culture to share and any support it receives by way of tourism will only ever be a good thing.
“I think there has been a creeping acceptance – not least by the Dalai Lama who has said as much – that China is there to stay and Tibet will never again be independent. My thought would be not to accept that, but to retain the hope that one day it will gain independence. China is moving in its people (to settle in Tibet) and its culture, and Tibet is changing and becoming more like China. However, I have faith in the strength of the Tibetan culture, and in tourism as a way to attach importance to it.”
Wildlife & environment


China has made no attempt to disguise its thirst for Tibet’s mineral and natural wealth. It refers to Tibet as Xizang, or its “western treasure house”, and has long exploited resources such as copper, silver, gold and timber as well as elements such as lithium and uranium.** Mining and industrial logging inevitably cause destruction on a vast scale, and China’s minimal environmental regulation means that the damaging effects are multiplied. Worse still, in Tibet’s case, its population – many of whom are desperately poor – do not stand to benefit in any way from the exploitation of its resources, as the money is funnelled back to Beijing. Across the plateau, nomads have been expelled from their ancestral lands to make way for mines, boreholes, dams and new roads. We do understand that some infrastructure is needed across Tibet, and that there are areas which will benefit hugely from investment and development of services. But this needs to be done in an environmentally responsible way, with the money generated by Tibet’s valuable resources channelled back into ensuring its environment, and its people, are protected and – if possible – better off.
*Source: The Atlantic
** Source: Free Tibet
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM TIPS
Please resist the temptation to point and shoot in Tibet, as photogenic as this country and its people may be. You may not take photographs inside monasteries, and you may get in trouble with the Chinese authorities if you take photographs of things such as protests or military installations. On a personal level, always ask permission before taking a photograph of Tibetan people. Strike up a conversation through your guide, buy something first if they are selling produce or souvenirs, and then ask. If they decline, be polite. And if they agree – then you have more of a story to go along with your photograph. But please don’t pay for photos – it’s better not to have a photo at all.
Don’t storm in with your own thoughts on Tibet, China, the political situation or the Dalai Lama, but be prepared to listen to local views. Tibetans may reluctant to talk about certain issues in public – these are very sensitive and often inflammatory subjects, and speaking openly could land them in serious trouble. Your local guide is responsible for you while you are in the country, so please don’t do anything to put him or her in an awkward position.
Resist the temptation to hand out gifts and sweets, even to children. If you would like to make a donation, ask your vacation company or tour leader about the most suitable items to bring, and then hand them out to a local leader, head teacher or so on, rather than indiscriminately in the street. Where possible, buy these items in Tibet to support local traders. Never give directly to children as this promotes begging, and sweets are a particularly bad idea. However, it is traditional to offer money to monks and nuns, as culturally and historically they depend on donations.
Look out for your porters while trekking in Tibet. Ensure they have appropriate clothing and shoes, are well fed and have somewhere warm and dry to sleep. Ask your vacation company for their policy on porters, in terms of fair pay and conditions. And find out what the tipping etiquette is too; often groups will pool tips for local staff.
Be respectful of this fragile environment, especially outside the cities. Take all litter back out with you, and pick up any you might encounter while trekking to dispose of once you return to the city. Take short showers, remove packaging from items before departure, and take hard to dispose of items, like spent batteries, back home with you.
Where possible, bring your own water bottle and refill from larger bottles as you go, to reduce the amount of plastic waste. Alternatively, invest in a LifeStraw, which safely filters water for you to drink.
If you are camping, spending time in remote areas or in homestays, try and buy eco toiletries to pack so as not to contaminate water sources.