High Asia in Tibet

Potala Palace, Tibet , China

Tom Friedman, in his best selling book The World Is Flat , makes the point that the work of many industries once done in the USA , can be done overseas for less money with the same if not higher quality. At High Asia we have long known that this thesis is applicable to the adventure tourism market as well.

Today in Myanmar , India , Bhutan , Tibet etc there are ever more locally run outfits that can offer international tourist high quality logistics and guides. In many cases these companies still lack sustained, high quality management skills and accountability if and when things go wrong. At High Asia we have long partnered with local companies in each of the countries we guide in, as does every American outfitter that runs treks, tours and expeditions in foreign countries.

We decided that instead of subcontracting to local outfits and relinquishing quality control to them, as virtually 100% of US based companies' do, we would shift our operations to the country in question. To do this we initially purchased our partner company, streamline management, took over guide training procedures, and established comprehensive accountability company insurance thereby entirely localizing our operations in the destination country. By making this move we have eliminated the quality control wild card that every foreign operator must contend with when doing business overseas. In Myanmar and Tibet we are now the local operator.

For you the traveler looking for the best guides and travel logistics in these wonderful countries, our localized operations translate directly into cheaper prices for superior services. We are there on the ground, never relying on second hand information or subcontracted vehicles and guides. We train our own guides, our vehicles are owned by us and our itineraries are designed by us. In the US we maintain only a small US based ( New Jersey ) office, which Jon manages. Our foreign guides are flown over as needed and the rest happens on ground in Tibet and Myanmar .

Tibet Operations

Our office on left and five of our Toyota Land cruisers on right

High Asia 's Tibet headquarters are based on the outskirts of eastern Lhasa . We also keep a branch office in Chengdu Sichuan for our east Tibet operations. Over the years High Asia has pioneered some of the most interesting expeditions in Tibet such as kayaking first attempts on the Tsangpo river, the discovery of the birthing ground of the Tibetan antelope in NW Tibet on the border with Xinjiang, first ascents in the Chang Tang and Kula Kangri regions of west Tibet and the China-Bhutan border respectively. We were able to do this through our contacts in Tibet as well as through extensive research on the ground in Tibet over the last fifteen years. Establishing an office in Lhasa is part of our commitment to offering the best expedition logistics at the most affordable prices.

Each year a selection of our guides are spend 1-2 months in various back country areas all over Tibet researching new areas for new treks and cultural ecursions.

Guide Training and Village Empowerment

Village meeting Geyen Mountains, Lithang, Sichuan

Tibet has seen unprecedented growth in the last five years. It is now possible to drive from Chengdu to Lhasa on roads that are 90% paved. For those of us that did this journey in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when what past for roads left much to be desired, that says a lot. All of NW Yunnan, Sichuan and Qinghai are now open to travelers. New airports have opened near Namche Barwa in Nyingchi, Jiu Zai Gou and Bangda and more are planned. All of this has contributed to a massive boom in tourism. These new tourists are by no means all foreigners. The swift and sustained 10%-12% growth of China 's economy has created a new upper middle class that has the means and motivation to travel to remote hinterland areas of Tibet , Xinjiang , Sichuan and Qinghai -and they are coming in droves.

Tourism is not just about Tourism Anymore

If we hope to have beautiful mountain areas, pristine villages carrying on ancient, uninterrupted ways of life and an all around healthy environment in western China, it is crucial that tour operators which directly profit year after year from tourism in these area, give back to both the communities that live in these mountains and to the mountains themselves.

It is crucial that villages in these wonderful mountain tourist destinations such as the those pictured below:

Konkaling Peaks in Sichuan

The Meili Xue Shan (Kawa Karpo) peaks in Yunnan

The Minya Konka Peaks in Sichuan (Gongga Shan)

are able to cope with so many new arrivals. High Asia is undertaking village training programs in villages that will be most impacted by tourism. Guide training and tourism management skills are being taught to people from these villages. Such programs educate villagers in such a way that they can choose to profit from tourism decide how it manifests in their village. High Asia 's main goals are:

Project Goals:

1. Capacity Building: Empower Eastern Tibetan communities, through tourism training workshops, to participate fully in the tourism industry.
2. Environmental Education: Educate tourism stakeholders and tourists traveling in the region on the importance ecosystem stewardship in the three mountain destinations mentioned above.
3. Monitoring for Sustainability: Collaborate with pertinent forestry departments to develop and implement tourism carrying capacity monitoring systems in the three mountain destinations mentioned above.
4. Protected Area Enhancement: Design and implement a protected area fee system that channels a portion of tourism revenues back into the protected area in order to enhance conservation.

High Asia can only undertake such projects via our local presence and sustained presence in the region. If you are interested in these and other projects please let us know by contacting us here.