Sri Lanka tourism authorities to set up branch of SLITHM in Jaffna
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is looking at establishing a branch of the state managed Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (SLITHM) in the country’s northern district of Jaffna.
A statement issued by the SLTDA has noted that with the opening of the Jaffna International Airport, the region will attract more tourists, and discussions were held to set up a hotel school to increase the number of trained tourism professionals in the northern districts.
The hotel school website according to local media reports currently operates a temporary training centre in Jaffna offering apprenticeship courses.
There are seven SLITHM provincial colleges across the island, mainly offering apprentice, certificate and craft level training, while the main hotel school in Colombo also offers more advanced and managerial courses.
The SLTDA statement has noted that it will launch awareness campaigns on attractions of the northern area to boost tourism to the region and attract investors.
“The opening of the Jaffna International Airport not only eases accessibility for domestic and international visitors to the Northern part but also opens up new opportunities for investors in the Jaffna Peninsula,” SLTDA Director General Upali Ratnayake has said.
Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities also believe that the Jaffna International Airport will pave the way for Indian tourist traffic to the Northern Province since there are many attractions including religious sites.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s Northern Province is fast emerging as a business destination in the country. The opening of the Jaffna International Airport in the Jaffna peninsula has further opened up Sri Lanka’s Northern Province to the global markets. With the operation of flights from India to Sri Lanka’s Jaffna International Airport would help boost the tourism sector in the Northern Province. It would in turn create business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry as well as other economic sectors.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20191104/Z_2 |