Grant Winner - Surfing Wombats Private Limited
About the Business
Surfing Wombats is a vibrant hostel and restaurant located in the south of Sri Lanka, in the coastal town of Midigama. They offer travellers private rooms, dorm rooms and glamping tents, in addition to, great food, amazing surf experiences and an exciting and fun vibe!
The brainchild of Romina and Kroot, two travellers who visited Sri Lanka and fell in love with the island, Surfing Wombats has gained popularity among surfers, even helping put Midigama on the world surf map. The team makes a conscious effort to incorporate sustainability practices into their business. All waste is recycled and staff is trained on sustainability and environmental issues. They work closely with local surf schools, tuk-tuk drivers and food producers, so that the entire community can benefit from the business. They are part of the Good Market community and also make an effort to offer Sinhala language classes to guests, so that they can truly immerse in the local culture.
Manufacturing Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Products
The grant will enable Surfing Wombats to produce sustainable surf wear, including surfboard bags and surfing ponchos, using environmentally friendly, recycled or upcycled materials. They hope to manufacture all products locally in Sri Lanka, using yarn made from plastic bottles that are collected during beach clean-ups, or used and discarded by guests.
The team believes that there is a demand for these products in the market, and are confident that it will contribute to the sustainability efforts that they already champion. Furthermore, it will allow them to provide employment opportunities to members of the local community.
“We are so thankful for this opportunity and for the smooth application process. Times are tough for everybody in the tourism industry, but projects such as this give us the opportunity to become more innovative, more eco-friendly and more resilient. It also gives us hope to do better and increase our efforts to make Sri Lanka the number one sustainable tourism destination in the world.”
– Surfing Wombats
