Green Initiatives by Teardrop Hotels

Teardrop Hotels

The Teardrop brand stands for inspiring hotels, atmospheric destinations and engaging experiences. We constantly invest in our properties and our people and are continually looking for new and wonderful opportunities to bring to life so that our guests get the very best out of their Sri Lankan experience.
In 2017, Teardrop also renovated an old tea storage warehouse at the end of Park Street Mews in the heart of Colombo and launched Monsoon, Colombo’s most exciting South East Asian dining venue.

This original family remains united today, supported by an ever growing team in Sri Lanka and Hong Kong that have built Teardrop Hotels in to an enviable portfolio of stylish properties. In addition to the Wallawwa, there is the magical Fort Bazaar in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle Fort, Kumu Beach, a fabulous 10 bedroom beach hotel 20km North of Galle and a collection of ‘Tea Planters’ bungalows near Dickoya, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Kandy. These are strategically located along the ‘tea country route’ offering guests a contemporary vintage experience and the ability to now holiday throughout Sri Lanka seamlessly with Teardrop Hotels.

Henry Fitch, was working in the hotel industry in London and it wasn’t hard to persuade him to join them out on the teardrop isle in 2007. Together, Michael, Charlie, Henry and their fourth partner, Viraj Premasinghe, were firm in their belief that the small hotel model offered the best guest experience for tourists visiting Sri Lanka. Thanks to the island’s history, architecture, natural beauty and charming people, the group were excited by the opportunity to convert wonderful properties into interesting small hotels across the country, offering guests from across the world a chance to experience the various sights, tastes and sounds of this diverse teardrop island.
The Teardrop brand stands for inspiring hotels, atmospheric destinations and engaging experiences. In an in an email interview, Henry talks about his love for the promoting and preserving the local heritage and improving the quality experiences for all.

Q1. Can you share some key sustainable tourism initiatives Teardrop Hotels has implemented in Sri Lanka? And, how do these initiatives align with your vision for responsible and eco-friendly tourism?

Our sustainability initiatives are grounded in our core beliefs, and we constantly strive for new ways to have a positive impact, both socially and environmentally. The key initiatives we have implemented revolve around five pillars, namely:
1. Restoration and transformation – This is a great passion of ours. Many of our properties are heritage buildings and vintage tea bungalows, carefully chosen for their character and lovingly restored – transforming them into inspiring fusions of old and new.
2. Supporting our community – We see our staff as a big family and strive to nurture and support them in every way we can. Teardrop has increased our female workforce from 8% to 11% over this last year, and we are actively increasing this margin for a more gender-balanced workplace. Our staff are also actively involved in leading our community initiatives, which revolve around uplifting the livelihoods of women and children.
3. Protecting biodiversity – We have completed several big projects in reforestation this year, including a donation of 100 jackfruit trees to community members living in the Upper Dunkeld Division (near Camellia Hills) with the assistance of our youth-led Eco Warriors team, who assisted with the planting of these trees. The second project coincided with World Environment Day, where our team at Nine Skies planted 150 Kumbuk trees along a section of the Badulla Oya riverbank, to mitigate soil erosion.
4. Homegrown and plastic-free – We grow much of our own vegetables and buy fresh-from-the- ocean seafood from local fishermen; we aim for zero food miles. To eliminate single-use plastics in our hotels, guests are provided refillable water bottles in their rooms, plastic straws are not available, and all packaging is plastic-free.
5. Sustainable sourcing and waste reduction – Over the years we have implemented energy-saving measures, such as switching to LED lighting. We also have stringent waste reduction and recycling programs across each of our properties. Where possible, we collaborate with suppliers who are committed to sustainability, this has led to cost savings through efficient supply chain processes.

Q2. What challenges have you encountered in promoting sustainable tourism, and ensuring that tourism benefits are shared equitably?

One of the biggest challenges in the early days was getting our staff educated on sustainability. We navigated this through conducting extensive and regular training programs that focused on the positive impacts sustainable hotel practices can have on the environment, our team, and our community. We then went on to sign up with Travelife, (we are proud to have received the gold certification from Travelife for 2023 and 2024 at each of our hotels) an international accreditation agency on sustainable practices, that helped us form policies around our sustainable practices, touching on a range of topics that include child protection, community engagement, employee overtime, health and safety, human rights, and of course broad policies on sustainable purchasing and overall environmental safeguarding. Sri Lanka is a tri-lingual nation, so we ensured that all training and policy documents were communicated in all languages among staff for easy understanding.

Q3. Are there educational programs or awareness campaigns that Teardrop Hotels has implemented to promote sustainability among staff, guests, and the local community?

We have several ongoing projects which support women and children residing in and around our properties. These range from soft skill workshops in candle-making, donating seedlings for home gardens, educational tours, workshops on protecting biodiversity and internship programs to break stigmas around women working in hospitality. While we regularly aid low-income families, our focus is in increasing their financial independence. To this extent, Teardrop has collaborated with The Tea Leaf Trust in offering a free introduction to hospitality course for underserved youth in the tea estate, and we hope to offer internships to its graduates. We are also the lead sponsor for the ‘Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities’ (VACD) centre in the hill country town of Welimada.

Q4. In what ways do you involve tourists in your sustainability efforts? What are the key activities that allow guests to actively participate in eco-friendly practices during their stay with you?

If they wish to, our guests can engage directly with some of our initiatives by way of experiencing our home gardens, by visiting some of the centers that Teardrop Cares directly supports, or by donating directly to these initiatives.

Q5. What role do you believe sustainable practices will play in shaping the future landscape of the Sri Lankan tourism industry?

Sustainable practices are crucial in shaping the future of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. The country’s rich biodiversity and cultural heritage make it an attractive destination, but balancing tourism growth with environmental conservation is essential for long-term success. In essence, integrating sustainable practices into the tourism industry will ensure the industry’s longevity and resilience. By balancing growth with environmental and social responsibility, Sri Lanka can create a tourism landscape that benefits both visitors and the country itself in the long run.

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