Curated Philanthropic Journeys Across Sri Lanka
Have you always wanted to immerse in a trip of a lifetime that gives back to Sri Lanka?
A journey where you know that each experience hosted by a 100% Sri Lankan owned Destination Management Company supplements the income of many locals; contributes to the education of children; fund some wonderful re-wilding efforts that protect this beautiful island’s biodiversity; and supports leopard and elephant conservation.
Ayu in the Wild has been committed to low footfall conscious travel since 2012 curating emotionally and intellectually engaging experiences across Sri Lanka. A guest who books our philanthropic journeys can be rest assured that each local impact experience has been vetted by the Founders who remain strongly committed to curating only a limited number of low footfall high impact holidays in Sri Lanka each year.
Your Travel Choice Can Make a Difference
Our personalized touch, the epic outdoors of Sri Lanka and a real connection to rural communities who will benefit from your travels through high impact sustainable projects handpicked or initiated by the Founders of Ayu in the Wild, will make you long to come back, even before your journey ends. That's what sets Ayu in the Wild's Philanthropic Journeys apart from other holidays to Sri Lanka.
You could choose from a range of initiatives that give back to the island, the people and the wild, including;
Empowering vulnerable women by funding a small-scale initiative Shakti who trains orphaned girls, handicapped women and those from impoverished backgrounds to earn a livelihood while working from their homes. The women handcraft quality bags made of cloth, and paper quill cards. During lockdown, they have been trained online to sew masks! Shakti believes in training a small group, who in turn, mentor others and over 50 women have been assisted. Many have received equipment to set up home based businesses.
Scaling up Classrooms in the Wild and assisting job seekers with access to an App designed to improve spoken English.“Classroom in the Wild” is a community outreach project initiated in 2014 by the Founders of Ayu in the Wild Holidays, to create opportunities for children in a disconnected community around Sigiriya through spoken English lessons.
Support specific re-wilding efforts. Your support could fund native species of plants for reforestation of wild elephant habitats in Buttala, or a reforested farmhouse experience, or even help regenerate the forested ridge that provides a refuge for highland leopards to prevent human-wildlife conflict that has escalated in recent years in an area with no government backed conservation status.
Support circular economies through agro-tourism which create livelihoods for men and women and food security for vulnerable communities.This could either be through funding the entire cost of one harvesting season (cost to plough the land, purchase seed paddy and fertilizer) for deserving farmers or supplementing the income of a local farmer who will host a farm-to-table experience. Your contribution will support the education of the farmer's children and medical needs of aged dependents.
Support elephant conservation. Funds are required to support a team of University students develop a database of elephant movements near rail tracks through thermal imaging and to test the model for an AI based technology to prevent elephants colliding with trains - especially on the new tracks laid to the north and the east. The database will also help efforts to mitigate the human-elephant conflict.
Support legal and advocacy efforts of non-profits that are committed to protect the island’s environment and wildlife.
Sustain the local arts through collaborations with local artists who will earn through hosted experiences for guests of Ayu in the Wild.
In addition to funding specific philanthropic initiatives, Ayu in the Wild have stayed true to their commitment to give back to the island, the people and the wild by keeping our staff on full pay despite the downturn in business since the Easter attacks in 2019 and throughout the global pandemic.
Explore this unique island through the eyes of ordinary Sri Lankans living ordinary lives knowing that Ayu in the Wild’s purpose-driven policies provide a source of income to locals who are handpicked for their knowledge and paid a decent wage.
Our Vision for The Sustainable Travel Sri Lanka Initiative
Ayu in the Wild pioneered the Sustainable Travel Sri Lanka initiative as an entirely self-funded effort that evolved out of our commitment to low footfall travel that gives back to the island, the people and the wild. The initiative has a four-pronged approach to:
Collaborate with forward thinkers who have set up sustainable projects that are directly or indirectly linked with travel and tourism. These projects need to make a lasting impact on the island, the people and the wild. e.g., preserving our heritage, arts and culture; biodiversity conservation; wildlife protection; education or livelihood support for vulnerable communities etc.
Raise funds through philanthropic journeys for identified sustainable projects.
Disrupt the digital space by encouraging greater sustainability-led messaging among the properties within the Sustainable Travel Sri Lanka Collective. to spur more conversations on conscious travel to Sri Lanka. The sustainability messaging on Facebook and Instagram is self-funded by Ayu in the Wild as part of our advocacy for promoting sustainable luxury travel in Sri Lanka. Membership in the Collective is by invitation only
Create partnership opportunities with global sustainability experts to encourage greater learning within the Sri Lanka tourism industry.
Why is Sustainable Travel Important for Sri Lanka
We strongly believe that tourism in Sri Lanka was heading in the wrong direction by targeting high volume driven destination promotion strategies for years. Pursuing higher visitor arrivals to a biodiversity hotspot that is culturally rich, just 65,610 km² in extent, and has a resident population of over 21 Mn people competing for natural resources and space with wildlife - was a recipe for disaster.
Destinations that are deep in culture and nature need to handle visitor numbers more judiciously than those which are richer in synthetic experiences. Sri Lanka is a case in point.
The global pandemic has presented the perfect opportunity for the entire industry to reset – collectively, away from unfettered mass tourism. If not, we risk damaging Sri Lanka’s reputation with the new post-Covid traveller, leading to further loss of livelihoods and continued degradation of biodiversity and wildlife habitats. The Sustainable Travel Sri Lanka initiative is our voice to inspire change and disrupt the business-as-usual thinking within the industry and we will slowly steer the course to encourage a shift towards conscious travel where empathy and exploration align.
Ayu in the Wild Holidays are specialists in curating sustainable slow luxury holidays to Sri Lanka, since 2012. A 100% Sri Lankan owner-run bespoke luxury travel agency. Founders @sustainabletravelsrilanka
Whatsapp Us on +94 77 248 1100
or email info@ayuinthewild.com
