Nipuna Pathiranagama
BSc (Hons) Tourism Management 2012
Nipuna is the proud owner and manager of a boutique resort in a green tea plantation within the historic city of Galle in Sri Lanka.
He said: “After graduating from the University of Sunderland in London I came back to Sri Lanka where I worked with my dad for one year in our own construction company. I then started building the resort in 2014 and completed the project in October 2015."
Nipuna said being the owner of his own resort has been the realisation of a long-standing dream.
“I love the hospitality industry and wanted to have my own resort in Sri Lanka. So I invested in this and The Country House it’s now running quite smoothly.”
Nipuna firmly believes that the insights and skills he developed at the University have been crucial to his success since graduating.
“One of my biggest challenges was the competition I had with the existing hotels but the knowledge I got from the University played a vital role in helping me to hit the ground running.”
Looking back on his time at the Canary Wharf campus, Nipuna remembers with fondness the facilities and the highly qualified lecturers and the staff.
He explained: “Everyone was super supportive. I loved each day at the University”.
“Dr Drissa is the person who encouraged me the most. He was excellent at tuning into every student,” he added.
Nipuna’s advice to current students and graduates entering the job market is: “Always choose the right path. And don’t be afraid to take a risk to start something on your own. Determination and passion will drive you to success.”
He concluded: “My plan is to own a chain of Boutique hotels. Currently I have almost started building the second boutique resort in the central part of Sri Lanka.”