According to CNN, from early morning, Mawella Beach (Sri Lanka) was shimmering with sunlight shining through the coconut trees, creating a magical atmosphere. Near the shore, dozens of strong men were trying to launch a brightly painted fishing boat.
Mawella Beach, Sri Lanka. Indigenous villagers and newcomers have banded together to protect their prized asset, a “pristine beach” in a pristine bay, from growing tourism. Photo: Halcyon Mawella
Taking a heavy ship out to sea is a hard job and it seems that the boat is "reluctantly" making the long, hard journey out to sea.
Mrs. CJ Bishop and her husband Paul have been in Sri Lanka for over 20 years. They now manage Mawella Villas.
"This is my paradise," said Mrs. CJ.
Mawella Villas has become the trendiest beach resort on Sri Lanka’s stunning south coast. But this pristine bay is under threat. A post-Covid-19 surge in visitor numbers is bringing more money to Sri Lanka’s tourism industry but is also putting more strain on infrastructure, causing more pollution, congestion and environmental damage. What’s more, climate change is pushing sea levels up and eroding the coastline.
To deal with the threats, resort owners and coastal villagers must unite to protect the bay, under the auspices of the Mawella Foundation.
"This is a collective effort, not a regulation reserved for intellectuals but a consensus of all, that we want to protect this place," CJ added.
The Mawella Foundation, officially launched in January 2024 by Mr. Zander Combe, owner of the Halcyon Mawella Hotel and someone who is passionate about engaging the local community in efforts to protect the beach so that all can benefit for years to come.
"Mawella Beach is still a pristine place for tourism," added Mr. Zander Combe.
Recently, CNN Traveller listed Halcyon Mawella as the best beach hotel in Sri Lanka for its tranquility, partially hidden behind a pine forest that protects the beach.
Mr Combe said that it used to take two days to get here from the capital Colombo (Sri Lanka), but with the opening of the coastal highway it now takes visitors about three hours.
The Mawella Foundation aims to raise money to fund projects that help villagers benefit from tourism and promote the protection of a key economic asset: the beautiful beach.
“I’m not really a typical environmentalist but if you pollute the seas and ruin the beaches, not only do you lose fishing but you lose tourism. It’s just common sense,” Mr Combe said.
Villagers join in protecting the beach
Mawella Beach. Photo: Halcyon Mawella
So far, the foundation has recruited a beach cleaning team and is setting up a laundry business run by local families to serve visitors at hotels and villas.
The fund members have also invested more in the village shop so that visitors have more activities when coming here.
"It's a big change here and we have more income so we are happy," said one villager.
A case in point is The Cocktails Restaurant and Bar, run by LY Poiyankera "Sana" Sandaruwan, who founded the business five years ago and hired three additional staff during busy times.
He recently added four more rooms and launched a takeaway dining service for those staying in the self-catering villas at Mawella Beach.
"I used to be a fisherman but this job was very hard. Now the sea tourism business is my future," he said.
Another fisherman in the fishing village, LY Suranga Chamara, has also switched to a tourism-related career after 18 years of fishing.
“The beach is our gold. Tourism is the future for Mawella beach, not fishing,” Mr Chamara added.
In response to recent environmental concerns due to climate change, Mr Combe and beachfront property owners formed the Mawella Tourist Association and commissioned an oceanographic impact assessment, warning of a potential disaster.
Economic development is the driving force behind conservation and community-based tourism here. The association says it is fortunate that mass tourism has not yet reached Mawella Beach and that the atmosphere here still feels different to the rest of Sri Lanka's famous southern coast.
"You can't stop the future but we can plan for it and protect the beach. That means working with local villagers to raise awareness of protecting the beach environment even more," added Ms. CJ, a hotelier here.
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