One of the fastest growing industries in Sri Lanka prior to the Easter Sunday attacks and the ongoing pandemic, tourism provides countless opportunities for skilled labour across the island. Despite the popularity of the industry, deep rooted misconceptions about hospitality and social stigma often keep women from seeking employment within tourism and away from the opportunities it offers.

A changing economic landscape and maturing communities, however, are opening doors for enterprising women to make their mark in the hospitality industry, pushing through gender barriers and emphatically shouldering roles and responsibilities which were historically male dominated.

At Jetwing, our long-standing policy of inclusivity and opportunity have seen a number of women rise through the ranks to become managers and general managers and thrive in their roles.

For an example of a woman who started from humble beginnings and rose to the pinnacle of the industry, we need to look no further than the Jetwing family’s paramount resorts in Negombo, Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Beach, and the guiding force behind their success – Hyacinth Gunawardene.

Hyacinth joined the Jetwing family as a trainee receptionist in 1977 and her determination, commitment, and professionalism had her earmarked for success. Moving through the ranks of front office manager and assistant manager to eventually taking on the responsibilities of general manager at Jetwing Blue.

Hyacinth would then become the company’s director general manager – tasked with overlooking the operations of two of the biggest hotels in the chain and managing a workforce of over 500 associates, a task which Hyacinth has taken on admirably.

Moving away from the urbanized landscapes and mindsets of the larger cities such as Negombo, social pressure and stigma can play inhibiting roles for women seeking to join the hospitality trade.

Family expectations such as motherhood, the working hours of the industry, and the misunderstanding and misconceptions about certain roles in hotels lead to women shunning or being discouraged from seeking employment.

The blueprint of Jetwing’s pioneering outlook with regards to women in leadership roles began with the inception of the company and are central to the values of Jetwing

The Jetwing Youth Development Project (JYDP) has provided a key gateway for young women to experience hospitality and forge a career for themselves in the industry and disprove the misgivings of the local communities.

JYDP was initiated in 2006, with the construction of Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya, to allow youth from underprivileged families to obtain employable skills in hospitality and become active stakeholders in Sri Lanka’s thriving travel and tourism sphere.

The success of the initial program has led to the Jetwing Youth Development Project becoming a mainstay of the training and recruitment process at Jetwing and has provided hundreds of young women the opportunity and the skills to shirk social barriers and excel in hospitality. The latest iterations of JYDP were carried out in Kandy with the construction of Jetwing Kandy Gallery in the town of Haragama in Kandy.

It is a point of achievement and pride that 41% of the graduates of the projects were females with aspirations to become leading figures in the hospitality landscape of Sri Lanka – following in the footsteps of women such as Hyacinth and the other female general managers. Indeed, several of the project’s past graduates have gone on to manage operations at hotels, both at Jetwing and others, with some finding success overseas as well.

The blueprint of Jetwing’s pioneering outlook with regards to women in leadership roles began with the inception of the company and are central to the values of Jetwing. We recognize the importance of having women representation in management roles, not only to give a voice to women but as a vital perspective to the direction of the company.

Jetwing’s pioneering work in the field of women empowerment saw Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing Symphony PLC, being awarded the Male Champion for Change at the recently concluded Women in Management awards – a recognition that Jetwing is determined to build upon.

Despite Jetwing’s efforts, the hospitality industry, and indeed most industries and companies in Sri Lanka, are bereft of women in managerial positions and change can be agonizingly slow, advancing in stops and starts. It is imperative that we, as a nation, address the challenges facing women, promote safe and equal opportunity workspaces, and ensure that the young women of tomorrow have a reason to be hopeful about the future.

As tourism starts on its journey of recovery from the challenges of the preceding years, we will need more and more committed women at the helm to help steer Sri Lankan hospitality forward and provide a legendary service to travelers from around the world.