At WWA, we believe we play a central role in not just curating itineraries but also towards the planet we adore so much. With our knowledge and resources we can make a significant contribution to conserve our environment, culture and communities.
While we are committed to slow and responsible travel, we want to ensure we make a real difference. By incorporating principles of sustainable and positive development in our tours, the journeys are about respecting the people, promoting human rights and making genuine connections. These values are not just thoughts, but are rooted in our work culture and daily operations.
Our causes range from health and sanitation projects, rural and tribal development, environmental conservation projects, employment initiatives for women to aid financial freedom and supporting education to help children shape a wholesome future.
Here are some of our efforts towards responsible business.
To ensure less carbon footprint:
We provide jute bags and luggage tags made of cloth to our guests on arrival.
The cloth bags are made by a group of women who are a part of PAGIR foundation (People’s Action Group for Inclusion and Right) in Ladakh. The skilled artisans of this foundation are creating some unique bags for our guests which helps the differently abled artisans to earn a livelihood with dignity. We hope to nurture this collaboration and contribute in positive ways for their better future.
We are actively working to reduce the use of plastic water bottles on our journeys. We hope to have an eco-friendly alternative soon that our guests can use, so that they have access to safe drinking water along with protecting our environment.
A few initiatives taken in 2010-2020:
In collaboration with Rowan University, USA annually we organise an educational program called 'Teach and Discover India'. This idea took shape in 2015 and since then majors from the university spend a couple of days at Indian rural schools, where they teach the community children English and facilitate confidence building activities.
Built a water tank for a primary government school in Bhairoganj village in Rajasthan.
Financial support extended to Podar school for acquiring infrastructure to run the school smoothly.
Provided shoes to Grade 1 students at Nimaj village school in Rajasthan as they step into the world of knowledge.
Undertook painting of class rooms and maintenance work at two primary schools in Dharamsala.
Renovated a toilet at a community primary health centre in lower Dharamshala, so that children have access to a clean washroom.
Toilet maintenance undertaken at a government school in Jaipur in collaboration with Subodh Public school to ensure sanitation.
Financial support extended for new class rooms to Baas Panchayat school in Haryana, to enrol more students.
Collaborated with an NGO called HUSK in Cambodia to help improve the lives of Cambodian families by providing them access to safe water, livelihood opportunities, health, education and more.
In our ongoing projects:
We have adopted the Diane Raj rural school in Bharatpur and extended support to build the basic infrastructure like water tanks, toilets for all students, change of class room flooring, providing black boards and stationery. We conduct hygiene sessions for students to ensure they are aware of the right habits to keep themselves clean and share this knowledge with their families too.
We are consistently working with foundations like Deepalaya in Delhi that focus on development of the urban and rural poor in India, especially children. And CBN Foundation that works with community based partners in rural and urban areas on issues like health, sanitation, education, disaster relief and much more.
It's been an honour partnering with Disha, an NGO in Jaipur uplifting children with multiple disabilities. We aided them to create a professional video to share the great work they do and have facilitated volunteer programs with international students from Boston University.
Extending sponsorship to students to help them to continue their education and reduce drop-out rates.
When you wander with us, you don’t just ensure less carbon footprint but you invest in different cultures, foster shared happiness and learn to respect the world gifted to us.
