Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is strengthening its commitment to gender inclusion across its portfolio, with female participation now at 19.5%, marking a healthy trajectory toward its 2030 goal of achieving 30% workforce representation. Women currently hold 22% of leadership positions across the group.

In Sri Lanka female participation in hospitality is barely making 10%, careers in tourism for women often carry significant social stigma, creating misconceptions that the industry is unsafe for female employment. As a leading hospitality brand, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts aims to challenge these outdated perceptions by making hospitality a sector where women can excel and prosper, reinforcing the message that the industry is a safe, secure, and empowering place for women to work.

A key milestone in this journey is the appointment of Thanuja Mudiyanselage as Resort Manager at Trinco Blu by Cinnamon, a strategic move that not only increases female representation in leadership but also leverages that leadership to uplift and inspire others.

Thanuja, the group’s second female Resort Manager, rose to influence from humble beginnings in Welimada. Her admission to the Ceylon Hotel School in Colombo marked a pivotal shift, requiring her to adapt to the pace and demands of city life, worlds apart from her village upbringing. “I learnt very early on to embrace changes that came my way,” she reflects.

A graduate of the Ceylon Hotel School and a scholarship recipient in Germany, Thanuja has advanced through Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts’ leadership pathways. She firmly believes that “honesty, commitment, and a positive attitude are the keys to success. Women are more than capable of excelling in this field.” Her initiatives echo this ethos. During her tenure at Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, she championed sustainability and community programmes, from the Turtle Hatchery Project to the EmpowerHER Network, fostering skill development and local engagement.

For Thanuja, “leadership is about nurturing talent. It’s about providing the right tools, knowledge, and environment for individuals to thrive. It’s about believing in their potential and empowering them to achieve their best.”

She champions open communication and mentors colleagues, supervisors, and managers, instilling agility and confidence. At Trinco Blu by Cinnamon, she focuses on empowering her team by addressing their diffidence through a series of workshops designed to overcome habitual shyness, a trait common among many.

These workshops engage staff from colleague to managerial levels across housekeeping and operations. Yoga for Female Colleagues, EmpowerHER Meetings encourage dialogue and collaboration, and recreational programmes to strengthen teamwork and balance.

These efforts are helping young women including single mothers to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and unlock new pathways for career progression, positioning Trinco Blu by Cinnamon as a model for inclusive hospitality.

Thanuja’s journey forms part of a wider mission within Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, to build workplaces where women lead, talent thrives, and inclusion drives performance.