Nirmala Ranasinghe is an Associate Professor at Nara Prefectural University, Japan, specializing in tourism with a strong focus on sustainability-related issues. Her teaching and research center on integrating sustainable practices into tourism to enhance rural sustainability and encourage responsible travel behavior. She also examines transformative tourism pedagogies aimed at fostering responsible change at the individual, community and societal levels. She is a partner of the Japan Sustainability Coordinator Association (JaSCA) and currently serves as an advisor to the Ceylon Chamber of Regenerative Tourism (CCRT), Sri Lanka. She actively participates in collaborative field activities across Japan and Sri Lanka, with the goal of facilitating the long-overdue transformation of the tourism industry. Developed through her research, the Heel Oya Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Village Initiative, Sri Lanka has received international recognition, including the Gold Award at the ICRT Indian Subcontinent Awards and Finalist status at the ICRT Global Awards.