Ayu Tripathi's Family-Run Resort In Corbett Balances Luxury With Sustainability

Tourism in India has seen a great shift in recent years, particularly after the challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people eagerly embrace every chance to travel and unwind. One region that has seen a remarkable transformation in travellers is Corbett, Uttarakhand, with its serene vegetation and thriving wildlife captivating nature enthusiasts from across the world. It is here, amidst dense forests and meandering rivers that a family-run resort is redefining luxury with ecological responsibility.   

Aahana Resort, a 13.5-acre lush green landscape, finds itself in the heart of nature and is home to unique flora and fauna, including about 4,500 trees and 200 species of birds. Ayu Tripathi, Director, spoke to SheThePeople about the story behind this sanctuary founded by her parents, Kamal and Sunita Tripathi. 

How A Barren Land Was Revived

Coming from a family of freedom fighters, Ayu and her siblings, Avni and Tanishq, grew up in Nainital with a sense of responsibility to preserve the heritage and beauty of their homeland. Right from a young age, their grandfather cultivated a deep respect for nature, engaging them in cleanup drives, plantation, etc.

The Tripathi family witnessed the growing tourism in Nainital and envisioned creating a space that not only celebrated the natural beauty of the region but also promoted sustainability. Around 2004, Ayu's father bought a 'barren' land in Sawal Deh with the vision of restoring it into a thriving ecological retreat.

"The villagers around this place used to always say that this is a cursed land, nothing grows here. So, after purchasing it, we spent almost two years ensuring we were able to plant in this area and kind of change the soil profile. I was in school back then and my father would bring us here on the weekends to plant trees."

Today, the area prides itself on being a green oasis, thanks to the resilience of the Tripathis and the locals who trusted their mission. "Aahana Resort (which opened in 2014) is a dream that my siblings and I have seen through our father's eyes. Sustainability and the local community are very centric to this project," Ayu said.

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Sustainability Projects At The Resort

Ayu described the various initiatives taken at Aahana to enhance the region's ecology and develop local communities. "Sustainability has been the core for all decision-making for us here," she shared, "We were cautious that only 20% of the property is built-up area. All the other area is green."

"The first thing built on Aahana was an organic sewage treatment plant, which today is the largest of its kind in Asia, recycling water naturally, with no energy and no chemicals. This water is then used for gardening within our premises. We recycle close to 1.5 crore liters of water per year," Ayu detailed.

Aahana is also involved in rainwater harvesting, recharging about four to seven lakh litres of water into the groundwater table per year. The property also relies on a systematic waste management plan like recycling and composting, where each year, about 51,000 kgs of waste is converted into nutrient-rich manure.

Ayu shared, "The part of the waste that goes for recycling can be sold; so we have a process where all the money generated from here goes into the staff welfare fund. Last year, we generated about ₹2 lakh from recycled waste. I find it so beautiful how once the waste is segregated, it is no longer 'waste'."

Ayu also described how modern technology has been instrumental in propelling their efforts. "Today, even if you want to run a luxurious place with the best of amenities, you have technology that helps you be sustainable. From ACs that consume minimal energy to gadgets that help you reduce your water consumption, we have made investments that will be very valuable in the long run."

With changing times and evolving challenges, the Tripathis embrace sustainability as an adaptive practice. "It's an ongoing process, I would say. With new options available in the market, we are constantly trying to ensure that with every year there is at least one new sustainability goal we can meet," Ayu said.

Community Involvement

Since the time the Tripathi family's resort was being constructed, local communities have been an integral part of their journey. "Just to build this resort, the entire community and the area around had to grow with us. So from the very beginning, we've had villagers become a part of the entire project," Ayu shared.

"Many locals who helped us in 2004-5 are now working as senior executives or supervisors looking after [the campus]. Today, almost about 97% of our staff is local; We try to bring in people from the village and nearby areas and train them. Apart from research and small travel experiences, we heavily relied on local knowledge in building the resort."

Ayu Tripathi Inspires Countless Minds

Besides promoting the luxurious yet responsible 'Aahana life', Ayu Tripathi has been operating cleanup and plantation drives with locals in the town for about nine years. She regularly includes government school children in these efforts, teaching them valuable lessons in environmental consciousness. 

During the initial years of this initiative, Ayu faced many challenges in encouraging locals to join her journey. "The men laughed it off but the women were enthusiastic; However, at the end of the day, men were the decision-makers in the families so it was difficult getting everyone on board," she recounted.

Four years ago, Ayu decided to get young children involved, which proved to be a turning point in her efforts. "We take government school kids on long walks where our team teaches them about the environment, nature, etc. Then, we encourage them to clean a patch, which they are always so excited to do."

As Ayu champions collaborative efforts in the community, she has become a symbol of inspiration, fostering a sense of environmental stewardship among the locals. Her work in the hospitality industry as well as social development inspires numerous local women and girls to achieve financial independence.

Under the Tripathi family's leadership, Aahana Resort stands as a beacon of hope challenging the climate change impacts in Uttarakhand. Combining sustainable practices with community-driven initiatives, the resort not only mitigates its environmental footprint but also sets an example for responsible tourism.