Basil opens Kandy SLITHM Provincial Campus

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa declared opened the SLITHM Provincial campus in Kundasale Kandy yesterday, at 10 a.m. The well furbished institute is meant to train personnel, required for the program of attracting 2.5 million tourists to Sri Lanka by 2016.

The Ministry of Economic Development and Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) together with the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA) built the campus equipped with state-of-the art technology to advance economic progress through tourism development.

The Government aims to attract 2.5 million tourists, and earn US$ 3 billion annually, and create 500,000 job opportunities by 2016, through tourism development. The SLITHM Kandy Provincial campus is another step to train the required work force for the tourism industry.

Japanese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Nobuhito Hobo, Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, Minister of Justice Rauf Hakeem, deputy Minister of Environment Abdul Cader, parliamentarians Lohan Rathwatte, Erick Weerawardana, Dilum Amunugama, Kandy mayor Mahen Rathwatte, JICA representative in Sri Lanka Harumi Ao, Economic Development Ministry’s Director-General Sunil Hettiarachchi, Sri Lanka Tourism and Hotel Management Institute’ Chairman Chandra Mohotti and its Director General Senaka Wijewardena were amongst the large number of invitees at the ceremony.

The institute comprises of a fully furnished office complex and equipped kitchen for training the students, auditoriums, class rooms, restaurant, dining room, library, computer section, open air theatre, large hall for holding functions and five luxury rooms for local and foreign tourists. The Kandy Hotel Management Institute’s Principal Irandi Wijegunawardene said: “This tourism promotion program directed by SLTDA under Minister Basil Rajapksa’s guidance would benefit all sections of society and help to increase as never before, the income levels of those connected with the industry.”