ABOUT

The Pekoe Trail Organization (TPTO)

The Pekoe Trail is a 300 kilometer long distance hiking trail that winds through Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands. It moves through tea estates, forests, valleys, villages and heritage landscapes. It is more than a trail. It is an example of how tourism can be meaningful, sustainable and community focused.

The Pekoe Trail Organisation (TPTO) is the independent, purely local nonprofit responsible for managing, protecting and developing this national asset. Formed in April 2024, TPTO is built to be financially self sustaining and community rooted.

Governance & Leadership
Meet the Team

How the Trail Was Created

A Trail Born from a Donor Funded Legacy

The Pekoe Trail was created through the Tourism Resilience Project (TRP), a three year donor funded initiative supported by the European Union with additional support from USAID. 


Through this project, consultants mapped, studied and connected existing footpaths, plantation tracks and heritage routes across the Central Highlands. This work brought together landscapes, culture and community life to form the 300 kilometer Pekoe Trail.


The Tourism Resilience Project was the foundation that allowed the Pekoe Trail to become a national tourism asset and a model for sustainable destination development.


With the donor phase complete, TPTO now carries full responsibility for the stewardship, maintenance and long term development of the trail.

Tourism Resilience Project Case Study
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Trail Stewardship & Maintenance

Keeping the trail well-marked, clean, and safe for hikers through active monitoring, signage updates, and responsible maintenance.

Sustainable Tourism Development

Partnering with local communities, businesses, and tourism operators to ensure the trail contributes to economic growth while preserving the environment.

Community Engagement & Capacity Building

Empowering tea estate communities through training, guiding programs, and small-business opportunities that align with responsible tourism.

Conservation & Heritage Protection

Working to safeguard the landscapes, forests, and cultural heritage along the trail, ensuring minimal impact while maximizing appreciation.

Respecting Land & Traditions

Acknowledging the deep history, ancient pathways, and cultural significance of the lands the trail traverses. We honor the tea pluckers, plantation communities, and the generations of people who have shaped these landscapes.

Trail Access & Advocacy

Collaborating with government bodies, plantation companies, and landowners to maintain access to the trail and promote responsible hiking practices.

Our Governance & Leadership

TPTO is legally incorporated in Sri Lanka as:

The Pekoe Trail Company (Guarantee) Limited
Registration Number: GL00298657
Incorporated on 08 April 2024

As a company limited by guarantee, TPTO does not have shareholders or owners. Instead, it is backed by “guarantor members” who support the organisation’s purpose and agree to contribute a nominal amount if the organisation were ever to wind up. In this case, the guarantor members are the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance and several Regional Plantation Companies, who collectively act as the institutional backbone for the organisation.

This structure ensures that TPTO is a nonprofit entity with no distribution of profits. All revenue is reinvested into trail maintenance, community engagement, operations and long term sustainability. It is designed to serve the public benefit, not commercial gain.

TPTO operates as an independent nonprofit steward of the Pekoe Trail and is sustained through memberships, trail passes, partnerships, grants, donation and merchandise.

Guided by Expertise and Local Knowledge

TPTO is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors with experience in tourism, regional plantation management, conservation and community development. The board provides strategic direction and ensures long term responsibility.

Daily operations are carried out by the TPTO team who manage:

  • Trail maintenance

  • Digital platforms and the mobile app

  • Community engagement

  • Partnerships and institutional relations

  • Communications

  • Research and data management

  • Visitor support

Area Coordinators along the trail provide ground level insight and constant liaison with communities and estate partners.

Meet the Team

Our Mission & Core Objectives

TPTO’s mission is to maintain and promote The Pekoe Trail as a world class long distance hiking trail and a signature national tourism asset. The organisation focuses on environmental protection, community wellbeing and sustainable tourism.

A Collaborative Model for a National Asset

A trail of this scale can only succeed through collaboration. TPTO works closely with government agencies, plantation companies, communities, tourism businesses and the hikers who use the trail. This shared effort strengthens and protects the trail for future generations.

Walking together with a collective effort

The Pekoe Trail operates under a unique public private partnership (PPP) model. This model recognises that a trail of this scale cannot be sustained by a single party. It requires shared responsibility and shared benefits. Under this model TPTO acts as the central steward who connects and coordinates all partners in the trail ecosystem. These include:

  • Government line agencies

  • Regional plantation companies

  • Local authorities

  • Local communities

  • Conservation partners

  • Tourism operators and DMCs

  • Corporate and civil society partners.


The PPP framework supports access, landscape protection, hiker safety, daily operations and community benefits. It allows TPTO to remain independent while working collaboratively with both public and private stakeholders.

A Trail With Purpose

The Pekoe Trail is designed for those who seek more than adventure. It offers a chance to connect with nature, discover the real Sri Lankan hill country and support the communities that call these landscapes home. Every step taken on the trail contributes to rural livelihoods, conservation and the continued development of this world class walking route.

We welcome hikers, partners and organisations to be part of the future of the Pekoe Trail. Your involvement through membership, sponsorship or donations helps keep the trail protected, accessible and inspiring for generations to come.

Walking the Pekoe Trail

The Pekoe Trail is a walking trail, with permission granted exclusively for walking. In select areas, biking is permitted as an exception, following designated guidelines. All trail users must adhere to our policies, which outline responsible use, landowner agreements, and conservation principles. For full details, please visit our Policies Page.

Join Us

The Pekoe Trail belongs to all who walk it. Whether you are a hiker, a volunteer, or a supporter, we welcome you to be a part of our growing community.

With donor funding ending, the future of the trail depends on contributions from the trail community. Every membership, trail pass, partnership, grant & donation  directly supports maintenance, conservation and community programs.

TPTO memberships are now open, including a limited opportunity to Join the Legacy as a Founding Member of the Pekoe Trail. Your support helps protect and enhance this national asset.

Click here to learn how to get involved

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