How This Pune-based Travel Company Waari Builds A Purpose-Driven Travel Model Rooted In Culture And Community

In an era where travel is increasingly driven by checklists, discounts, and speed, a quieter shift is taking shape across the global tourism landscape. Travellers are seeking meaning over mileage, depth over volume, and connection over convenience. Against this backdrop, Pune-based travel company Waari is carving a distinctive space by building a purpose-driven travel model that places culture, community, and local economies at the centre of the journey.

Rather than positioning travel as a transactional service, Waari approaches it as an experience designed to create lasting emotional and cultural impact. Its itineraries span the Indian subcontinent and international destinations across Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas, but the philosophy remains consistent, travel should be immersive, responsible, and rooted in the lived realities of the places being explored. This approach has allowed Waari, one of the best travel companies in Pune to steadily build credibility among travellers who view exploration not as escapism, but as engagement.

That philosophy eventually evolved into Waari, a brand built around transparency, innovation, responsibility, and a customer-first mindset. Rather than offering standardized tour packages, Waari curates journeys with intent, each itinerary anchored by a Waari Signature Experience™, designed to reflect the soul of the destination while maintaining international service benchmarks.

“We don’t sell packages, we craft stories people carry home,” says the founder.

Waari’s differentiation lies in its consistent integration of local culture, people, and livelihoods into every itinerary it curates, ensuring that each journey, across geographies, is rooted in authentic, on-ground experiences rather than surface-level sightseeing.

In Sri Lanka, Waari’s Signature Experiences move travellers beyond curated itineraries and into the quiet intimacy of village life. Days unfold at a slower pace as guests glide through narrow village waterways on small boats or travel by bullock cart, absorbing the rhythms of a countryside shaped by tradition rather than timelines.

The experience deepens through meaningful, hands-on cultural exchanges. Travellers sit alongside villagers learning the art of mat-making from coconut leaves, a craft refined over generations. In moments of simple warmth, a villager may fashion a cap from lotus leaves and offer it as a gesture of welcome, unplanned, personal, and sincere.

These are not performances designed for visitors, but everyday practices shared openly. Through such lived interactions, guests gain an authentic understanding of Sri Lanka’s rural communities, where hospitality is instinctive and culture is preserved through daily life rather than display.

The company collaborates with tourism bodies, local institutions, and community stakeholders across domestic and international destinations to promote responsible tourism practices, embedding community-led experiences directly into its travel programs.

This approach positions Waari’s tourism model as a form of indirect CSR, where community engagement and cultural preservation are built into the business itself rather than treated as add-ons. By embedding local artisans, hosts, and micro-entrepreneurs into its travel experiences, Waari ensures that economic value is distributed at the grassroots level, creating sustainable income streams while preserving regional identity. The impact is structural rather than symbolic, tourism becomes a tool for long-term economic participation, not short-term consumption.

A Framework-Driven Approach to Experience Design

Behind Waari’s curated journeys is a structured five-step curation framework that combines research, verification, creativity, and operational discipline.

The process begins with deep destination research, what the company calls “becoming travel scholars”, followed by on-ground verification of hotels, routes, and experiences. It then moves into creative itinerary crafting, direct negotiations with partners (eliminating middlemen), and thoughtful matching of like-minded travelers, especially for group journeys.

This framework allows Waari to balance comfort, pacing, and cultural depth, an approach that resonates with its core traveler base, discerning professionals, entrepreneurs, senior travelers, and families, typically aged 35 and above, who prioritize peace of mind and meaningful engagement over rushed sightseeing.

Leadership on Responsibility and Legacy

For Waari’s leadership, travel is as much about responsibility as it is about discovery.

Founder Maruti Musmade states, “Every traveler invests time and money to realize their dream journey. It is solely our responsibility to perfect every detail and create unforgettable experiences, ensuring every moment of your journey is worth the investment.”

Director Rishikesh Musmade adds, “Our purpose is to connect you to our vast world. Make new friends, get inspired by the destination, its people and their stories. Escape the ordinary and embark on transformative experiences. Explore not only the world outside, but the one within you!”

Chief Executive Officer Gayatri Gawde Musmade frames the philosophy more pointedly: “When we travel, we often think about what we’ll take back, memories, photographs, rest, and rejuvenation. But travel must also ask a deeper question, what are we giving back to the destination?

At Waari, we believe true luxury lies in giving back, through thoughtful travel that honours local cultures, supports communities, and leaves every destination richer for having hosted us.”

As experiential travel gains momentum worldwide, Waari’s ambition extends beyond scale alone. The company is working towards a future where travel decisions are driven by emotion, curiosity, and purpose rather than logistics. By deepening its signature experiences, strengthening global collaborations, and continuing to integrate local communities into the heart of its journeys, Waari is positioning itself not just as a travel company, but as a platform shaping how meaningful travel is experienced in a rapidly changing world.