Dr. Madura Thiwanka Pathirana
Dr. Madura Thivanka Pathirana is a Sri Lankan and Australian academic specializing in sustainable tourism and business management. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK, and currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University Sri Lanka. In 2025, he completed a Research Fellowship in Blue Economics and Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University, Australia. His research focuses on eco-innovation, climate-friendly travel, and community-based tourism. Dr. Pathirana has led multiple DFAT Australia–funded projects promoting sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka and has published widely in international journals. He is dedicated to fostering sustainability-driven leadership and developing future-ready professionals in tourism and business education.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Doctor of Business Administration (2015 – 2020)
University of Wales Trinity St David, UK
Thesis: Sustainable business model for boutique hotel operations - Master of Business Administration (2012-2014)
Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK - Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Business Administration (2008-2011)
Staffordshire University (UK)
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
- Griffith University, Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT)
Research Fellow (2025)
Edith Cowan University (Australia, Sri Lanka)
Senior Lecturer (2021-2025) - British School of Commerce (Sri Lanka)
Lecturer (2019-2021) - University of West of England (Sri Lanka)
Program Lead (2017-2019)
Senior Lecturer (2017-2019)
ESOFT Metro Campus (Negombo, Sri Lanka)
Business School Head (2014-2017)
RESEARCH AREAS / FIELDS
- Blue Economics and Marine Tourism
- Regenerative Tourism
- Sustainable Tourism
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
- Pathirana, M.T. (2025)
An examine of eco-tourism potentials in Sri Lanka through digital storytelling, International Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2(1), 54-96 - Pathirana, M.T. (2025)
Empowering Communities Through Gastronomic Tourism: A Sustainable Development Model in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, Book chapter, editors Anukrati Sharma, Jeetesh Kumar, Samik RayGastronomic Tourism – Discovering the World through Culinary Journeys. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/epdf/10.1079/9781800628854.0008 - Pathirana, M.T. (2025)
Sri Lanka’s tourism: Avoiding Bali 2.0 by balancing growth with preservation. Contemporary Research Topics in Art & Design, 29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.34074/scop.1029017
RESEARCH & CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS / EXHIBITIONS
- Pathirana, M. T., Silva, M. D., & Warnakula, U. S. (2025)
Youth Cycling Tourism on the Sunshine Coast: Exploring Impacts and Sustainability for Future Generations, Cycling and Society Annual conference 2025, Glasglow, Scotland. - Pathirana, M.T. (2025).
Adapting crisis recovery models to a multi-crisis tourism industry: the case of Sri Lanka. CAUTHE Conference 2025, Brisbane, Australia. - Pathirana, M. T., Silva, M. D., & Warnakula, U. S. (2025)
Balancing Nature-Based Tourism and Ecological Integrity: Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka’s Protected Areas, Leisure Studies Annual Conference, York, UK - Pathirana, M.T., Rathnasri, S., & Sirisena, D.C. (2024).
Integrating Sustainable Tourism for Mangrove Conservation in Sri Lanka: Insights from Community-Based Management and Eco-Tourism Initiatives. Presented at the International Conference on Mangroves for Sustainability (ICMS), Sri Lanka. - Pathirana, M.T. & Putri, A. (2024).
Enriching Tourist Experiences with Authentic Culinary Journeys: The ‘Sri Lankan Delights’ Initiative. Proceedings of 8th Asia Euro Conference 2023: Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy.
RESEARCH GRANTS
- Pathirana, M.T., Gardiner, S. and Scott, N. (2024)
DFAT Australia
Intergovernmental policy recommendations to Sri Lankan government from Australia ($170,000) - Pathirana, M.T (2024)
DFAT Australia
Equipping youth with skills in sustainable tourism, focusing on promoting eco-friendly tourism practices. - Pathirana, M.T (2023)
DFAT Australia
Managed and developed training programs for youth, enabling them to adopt sustainable tourism strategies in the Central Province of Sri Lanka
AWARDS & HONOURS
Early Career Researcher of the year 2025
The Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE)
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