Taru Villas Long House Bentota achieves prestigious Travelife Gold Certification

Co-energi handing over Travelife certification to Taru Villa team

Taru Villa team celebrating their achievement

Taru Villas Long House has been awarded the prestigious Travelife Gold Certification, joining an elite group of globally recognised accommodations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable tourism practices. 

This internationally respected certification, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, represents the highest standard in accommodation sustainability and validates The Long House’s comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship, community engagement, and responsible hospitality. The certification process was guided by Co-energi Ltd., a leading Sustainability and MEP consultancy firm, who served as the Travelife Certification Consultant for the project. The firm provided technical guidance, capacity building, and overall coordination to ensure The Long House met and exceeded the rigorous standards required by Travelife.

The Travelife Gold Certification is awarded only after a rigorous independent on-site audit confirms full compliance with their extensive and comprehensive sustainability criteria. These cover everything from energy efficiency and waste management to ethical labour practices and local engagement. Travelife is a global accommodation sustainability certification body respected for being impartial and robust, with comprehensive requirements covering emissions, biodiversity, human rights, fair labour, child safeguarding, and animal welfare.

This achievement underscores The Long House’s position as a leader in sustainable luxury hospitality. The boutique property’s commitment to sustainability seamlessly integrates with its architectural elegance, where 10 artfully designed bedrooms celebrate local craftsmanship while maintaining the highest environmental and social standards. The guidance of Co-energi Ltd., helped ensure that sustainability considerations were embedded not only in operations, but also across the property’s broader management framework.

Taru Villas Chief Executive Officer Alvin Jacobs commented: “Achieving the Travelife Gold Certification represents a significant milestone in our sustainability journey and reinforces our belief that luxury hospitality must be intrinsically linked to environmental responsibility. This certification validates our comprehensive approach to sustainable operations, from our plastic-free initiatives and locally-sourced ingredients to our community partnerships and biodiversity conservation efforts. Going through this rigorous assessment has only deepened our resolve to show the world that delivering extraordinary guest experiences while protecting our environment is more than possible.”

Speaking on behalf of Co-energi Ltd., the Consultancy team noted that “The Long House is a showcase of how sustainability and luxury can operate hand-in-hand. Working with Taru Villas to achieve Travelife Gold Certification reflects our shared commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka’s position in the global sustainable tourism landscape.”

Travelife has achieved ‘recognised’ certification status by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), benchmarking its commitment to promote sustainable tourism products and services recognised by the GSTC using the GSTC Criteria as the reference for sustainable travel criteria. This recognition ensures that Travelife Gold-certified properties meet the worldwide minimum requirements for tourism businesses to approach sustainability comprehensively.