Dr. Manoj Samaratunga is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management of Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Travel Services Management (Honors) from Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 2010 and a Master’s Degree in Tourism Economics from the University of Colombo in 2014, followed by his PhD in Tourism Planning and Management from Sichuan University, China in 2020.

He serves as a co-director of the International Center for Interdisciplinary Culture Heritage and Tourist Research of China and Sri Lanka and, he is also the president of the Sri Lankan ‘Research Community’ which is aimed at improving the research capacity of academics in Sri Lanka. He is a prominent researcher, author, verified peer reviewer, editorial board member and a tourism consultant.

He is an expert in the field of computer aided qualitative data analysis with specialized knowledge on the NVivo software. With this expertise, he has become a well-known and experienced resource person in this field. He has well-contributed to improve the research capacity of academies in Sri Lankan universities by conducting workshops organized by the universities for staff development, as well as for local and international conferences. Furthermore, he has conducted many workshops on qualitative research and qualitative data analysis for other educational institutes, research institutes, local authorities and business firms locally and internationally.