Sustainability & Responsible Travel Statement

Our Promise to Sri Lanka and Our Guests

Tour with Wasi is a Tour Company (BR: WAA 11780) committed to the "Slow Travel" approach. We strongly believe that tourism can become a positive factor by preserving our nature, our culture, and local communities.

Economic Responsibility: Supporting Local Hearts

We ensure that the majority of your travel spend stays within the Sri Lankan economy.

• Boutique Stays: It is our policy to recommend family-owned guesthouses and boutique hotels run by locals over hotel chains and international hospitality businesses. Nevertheless, we are completely adaptable; if you have a preference for any hotel chain or any particular brand, we will be pleased to design your travel plan accordingly.
• Direct Impact: We encourage our guests to interact directly with local artisans, traditional shops, and restaurants managed by local villagers, thereby facilitating fair trade.

Environmental Stewardship: Protecting Our Paradise

Sri Lanka’s biodiversity is our greatest treasure. We take active steps to minimize our footprint:

• Plastic-Conscious Touring: Although we supply bottled water every day to make our guests comfortable, we strive to ensure there is zero litter on our tours. Our plastic waste from the tours will be collected and taken to certified recycling plants in Sri Lanka.
• Route Optimization: In designing routes for tours, we try to avoid unnecessary driving to reduce our carbon footprint from each tour.
• Waste Management: We encourage our guests to leave no traces when exploring ancient temples, beaches, and hiking tracks.

Animal Welfare & Traditional Transport Policy

• Wild Animal Welfare: Our country’s bio-diversity is our most precious gift. We make positive efforts in ensuring that “Freedom to express natural behavior” becomes our first priority. Our policy is that on our safari tours we strictly adhere to our no-contact policy. Although there have been some traditional approaches, Tour with Wasi is moving towards observational based tourism. Our guests are encouraged to watch the wildlife in its natural environment.
• Working & Domesticated Animals: Local economies in villages are promoted via the use of traditional bullock carts. For the well-being of these domesticated animals, the guidelines below are followed:
  • Weight Limits: The number of people carried by each bullock cart is strictly regulated so that the animals are not overloaded.
  • Health Checks: We collaborate exclusively with those village partners who feed their animals well, give them access to clean water, and enough rest under the shade.
  • No Force: Any instrument of torture to make the animals move is strictly prohibited.
• Conservation Education (Turtles & Snakes): All our trips to licensed rescue centers are purely educational. Handling, where applicable, is always done under the supervision of conservationists, and the money goes towards protecting these species and releasing them into the wild.

Cultural Preservation: Authentic Connection

In effect, we are ambassadors of the culture. Through us, our guests will learn how to behave according to local culture, dress code at places of worship, and a few basic phrases in Sinhala/Tamil to build a more meaningful relationship with the locals.