KumbukRiver among world’s six best biodiversity programs

KumbukRiver, Sri Lanka’s highest-awarded tourism brand is yet again in the news, this time named among the world’s six leading sustainable conservation and biodiversity programs by the World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards conducted by the World Travel Awards (WTA), billed as the Travel Oscars.

Launched at COP28 in Dubai at a time when the UN has declared climate change as the world’s biggest crisis, the world travel awards with its timely initiative seeks to steer the global travel and tourism sector towards a net positive impact with the awards recognising the world’s leading climate action in tourism.

KumbukRiver (www.kumbukriver.com) is the centre piece for Geo Explore Foundation (www.geo-explore.org), showcasing a revolutionary new approach to sustainable development and conservation. The WTA has recognised KumbukRiver’s unique proposition to uplifting rural lives while restoring and conserving biodiversity through eco-tourism, where villagers who were once loggers, poachers, fortune hunters and miners desecrating Yala National Park are now among guardians of nature with eco-tourism emerging as their new vehicle of growth.

The World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards has brought together several leading organisations in the world including World Travel and Tourism Council, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and a university and business school coalition in driving this global awards program.

The developmental model that revolves around KumbukRiver offers a ready-reckoner for the country to follow, leveraging on resourceful solutions for people and habitat, executed on uncanny simplicity of reverse-engineering.

Geo Explore Foundation’s eco systems restoration mandate has been among the few conservation endeavours successfully executed through the pandemic and ensuing economic debacle, emerging as pathbreakers for the universal concept of Creating Shared Value (CSV) in Sri Lanka where organisations realign their journeys by responding to compelling societal needs and problems. 

From poverty-stricken rural families in the front lines of elephant-human conflict, to farmer community centres, from local government bodies to government irrigation department, community police to rural schools, department of wildlife conservation, and Sri Lanka Army, for Geo Explore Foundation, it has been about an unwavering commitment to restoring lost eco systems even through national crises. At the helm of this internationally acclaimed mission that leverages on United Nation’s Developmental Goals is veteran war correspondent turned transformational catalyst Dr. Dinesh Watawana.

Partnering the ambitious eco systems restoration mandate is Midea, the world leader in air treatment, through its country partner Telesonic. “Geo Explore Foundation’s ground-breaking model of biodiversity conservation with the values they bring into the equation has been a perfect fit for our mission of cooling the world,” says Telesonic Managing Director Arun Mahtani who adds that he is proud to be the only corporate partner for this acclaimed conservation mandate. To-date our conservation partnership has seen over 40,000 trees planted on the ethos of biodiversity and sustainability.

In the project’s conservation base off the beaten track in Buttala, some 50,000 plants with a diverse species count of over 50 are being fostered by conservationists, awaiting to contribute to restoration of eco systems. The plant nurseries are part of a 10-acre forest garden taking shape on land once laid to waste by slash and burn cultivation. Combined with a scenic riverfront and a small island protected by the program even through the war, when the locality came under terrorist attack, as well as, from gem miners, KumbukRiver puts together a showcase of Sri Lanka’s magnificent natural splendour.

“Our Backdoor Engineering strategy is what defines uniqueness where, in an underdeveloped country plagued by bureaucratic red tape and apathy of people that leads to vast destruction of biodiversity, our model evokes a spontaneous response from all stakeholders. Built around children, teachers and trees, and inspired by responsible tourism, we are converting hearts and minds thanks to our innovative reverse-engineering strategy. And our advertisement to this model of conservation – the Elephant Villa is awarded as one of the most unique in the world,” says Akash Watawana who volunteered as a project manager.

KumbukRiver first shot to fame when it was listed among the world’s 10 most unusual hotels, receiving wide international media attention. At the centre of the resort’s fame is a spellbinding eco villa in the shape of a 40ft elephant. The 2-story edifice sleeps 10 in its luxurious upper deck and has been a monumental advertisement for Sri Lanka tourism. KumbukRiver won the coveted Travel Oscar as the world’s leading eco-lodge at the world travel awards in 2008 and presents a collection of unique and luxurious accommodations in its sprawling riverside oasis. KumbukRiver was also named by Lonely Planet to be among the world’s best places to stay, while the US News listed the resort among the world’s 18 strangest attractions alongside Sigiriya.