Dulani Guruge wins ‘Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur’ Award for ‘Flameback Eco Lodge’

Dulani Guruge, Owner and Managing Director of Flameback Eco Lodge Pvt Ltd, won the award for ‘Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur’ – Small Business category at the ‘Top 50 Professional and Career Women Awards – 2019’ held at Shangri La Hotel recently. The awards, presented by Women in Management, International Finance Corporation – A Member of the World Bank Group and the Government of Australia, recognised outstanding women excelling in their respective career sectors to boost sustainable economic growth.

Exclusive ‘Flameback Eco Lodge’ in Weerawila focusses on environment conservation by having adapted eco-friendly initiatives in the hotel construction and operations as well as helps to upbring the standard of living within the local community by providing employment opportunities, collaborating with them for sourcing operational products and integrating them in hotel activities promoted to its clientele.

Dulani started her career as a Management Trainee at Hemtours, a subsidiary of Hemas Holdings and later took over managing the family business, Peacock Beach Hotel in the aftermath of the tsunami in 2005. Being in the travel and hotel trade for over 15 years, she decided to pursue her passion to create a unique and sustainable hospitality experience venturing in to build her own boutique hotel, ‘Flameback Eco Lodge’ in Weerawila with a unique concept that focus on attracting the high-end traveller segment to the country with a focus on eco-tourism.

Dulani enjoys being a woman entrepreneur in the competitive and unpredictable industry of tourism despite many political and economic challenges, since it gives her an opportunity to promote Sri Lanka while helping to promote sustainable tourism through environment conservation and community empowerment.

Being a past student of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyala, Colombo, Dulani Guruge completed her Bachelor’s degree specialising in Management, Marketing and E-Commerce at Deakin University and obtained her MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Edith Cowan University, Australia. She received an award for ‘Outstanding scholastic achievement and excellence’ by the Golden Key International Honour Society for being among the top 15% of graduates with academic merit in Australia during her studies.

She currently serves as a Vice President in the Executive committee of the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council, affiliated to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.