For a number of reasons the challenges we face in Sri Lanka are somewhat unique. It takes a mix of experience of the travel industry, relationships with a very broad spectrum of people both here and abroad, and a thorough understanding of how to implement international sustainability standards in the local Sri Lankan context to make real progress.
Sustainable Sri Lanka’s journey started in 2018 when it became clear that the Sri Lankan tourism industry was going to need organizations like us to enter the tourism ecosystem in order to provide ideas and solutions to a new set of challenges for many organizations. At the time - our core group of consultants were working in different companies across different disciplines. Some of us were working within the industry for tour operators and hotels, some of us where working as consultants and the world of academia. While we all called Sri Lanka home, we frequently travelled to other parts of the world picking up ideas and insights along the way.
A plan began to hatch. We all connected and realized there was both a critical need and an opportunity to advance sustainability in Sri Lanka in a purposeful way. Although some in the industry were ahead of others, it was clear that many companies, particularly SME’s were going to need ideas and practical solutions. Leaving emotions aside, from the beginning we took a very pragmatic approach; To understand international standards and frameworks and to draw from our own travel experiences and our connections both in Sri Lanka and abroad to find best practices across the different disciplines; environmental management, community engagement and governance. To come up with solutions adapted to the local context and market and offer support to organizations to make real progress, to be more competitive and more resilient.