Jessica Wijesinghe

Jessica is the Operations Manager at Adhvan Tours. Her love for her job is evident as she says “It is so exciting to visit a new place - to interact with its people and learn about their culture.” The 27 year old studied at the University of Toronto and holds a Bachelor of Art majoring in International Development Studies. An avid sportswomen in school, she was a part of the track team, played varsity softball, tennis and volleyball. She also likes to read and cook and twice visited the Philippines to volunteer at the Stairway to Heaven Foundation.

How has your journey been?

From a young age I have been fortunate enough to live in various countries. My mom was working in the tourism industry so that meant that she was stationed in countries like Germany, Spain, Kenya and Egypt. Through this I was able to experience various cultures first hand.  

What has been difficult for you, either in general or personally as a woman?

Even though it was great being able to move around, the hard part was having to saying good-bye to the friends I had made. At a young age it wasn’t too bad, as you tend to believe that you will get to see your friends again, but the older I got the more realistic the situation became - you know it might be the last time you ever see one another. Nevertheless, through this journey it became easier for me to talk to people and to create new friendships. My mother was never worried that I would be sitting alone in the school cafeteria, because by the end of the day I would have made at least one new friend. This skill has proven valuable - not only in my personal life, but also in a professional capacity. In the tourism industry you are constantly networking and creating new working relationships that will help and further your career.

As a woman I believe the most difficult thing that many of us still have to struggle with is the historical ideology of “this is a man’s world.” There has been huge progress made with regard to equality of the sexes; however there is still a lot of work to be done. There have been instances where, as a woman, I had to have a thick skin - I had to understand that it might not be so much the particular man himself, but the values and beliefs instilled in him by his society and culture in general., I believe that it has played an integral part in moulding me into the woman I am today.     

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

The exciting thing about tourism is that it is so people centred - it is all about people, and things are constantly changing. One can never say, “I have learned everything there is to tourism.” My parents who have been in this line of work for the past 30 years are still learning and experiencing new things. There will always be something new waiting around the corner and that is what I look forward to the most, because that way it never becomes boring. Also, I get to learn a lot about Sri Lanka by researching new tours for my clients, - things I would never have known if I was in a different line of work. Lastly, my position allows me to do what I love most: travel. I get to participate in various tourism fairs that are held yearly, such at World Travel Mart in London and ITB in Berlin.

What or who inspires you? To what would you attribute your success and survival? 

I believe my mother and father, both of whom work in the tourism industry, inspire me. They started from the bottom and had to work very hard in order to get to where they are now. Furthermore, having been brought up mainly by my mother, I learned what it is to be an independent woman and what it means to work hard in order to stand on your own two feet.

Where would you like to go from here? 

I am still in the early stages of my career, so as of right now I would like to learn as much as I possibly can. I would like to reach a point where I am confident to lead my own team - to teach them what I have learned and together build the company and make it a household name in the tourism industry. On a more personal level I would like to get to a point in my career where I can keep traveling - there are still so many places that I have yet to discover.

By Marissa van Eyck
Pictures by Kushan Pathiraja