Charmarie Maelge

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Charmarie Maelge began her tourism career as the Director of Marketing for the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, subsequently as the Director of the London Office in the UK and the Director of Research and International Affairs. She advanced to the role as Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Promotional Bureau (SLTPB), where she led destination marketing efforts.

Charmarie founded the Responsible Tourism Partnership in Sri Lanka working with the UK-based Travel Foundation, where she was instrumental in establishing numerous sustainable tourism flagship projects. She is recognized as the architect of the “Greening Sri Lanka Hotels” initiative, focusing on energy optimization and natural resource management in the hospitality sector. Additionally, she developed the National Sustainable Tourism Certification Scheme (NSTCS) for the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in 2019.

Charmarie has contributed as a gender specialist for UNDP and USAID, conducting research on gender dynamics within the tourism sector. As a Gender and Social Inclusion Expert for the Asian Development Bank, she recently completed a Gender Assessment and a Gender-Inclusive National Roadmap for Sri Lanka Tourism aimed at enhancing women's participation in the sector.

Throughout her career, she has held various roles focused on fostering women’s entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka, including serving as Vice Chairperson of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Charmarie holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree, an MBA, and a postgraduate qualification in Gender and Women’s Studies leading to a Master’s degree. She is also a Chartered Marketer and a Project Management Professional (USA).

Currently, she serves as a visiting faculty member in the Hospitality and Leisure Management Department at the University of Colombo.