The Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) inaugurated its first ever degree programme, the Bachelor of Hotel and Resort Management (Hons), on October 27, 2026, at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo, directly targeting an estimated 600,000 vacancies across the growing tourism sector.
The milestone launch was attended by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath and leading figures from government, academia and the hospitality industry.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized tourism’s vital economic role and called for higher female participation, encouraging the 65 newly enrolled students, the majority of whom are women, to lead the sector’s future growth.
SLITHM and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) Chairman Dheera Hettiarachchi noted the degree’s practical focus, while Professor Suranga Silva of the University of Colombo explained that the four-year degree combines academic learning, industry training, internships, thesis research, and foreign language studies to meet global standards and bridge critical local skills shortages.
Underlining the sector’s aggressive expansion, Minister Vijitha Herath revealed that Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever tourist arrivals in 2025, with national targets set for 4 million visitors and USD 8 billion in revenue by 2030.
To support this growth, Minister Herath announced plans to upgrade SLITHM with World Bank support, expand branches into every district, and establish a regional Tourism Training and Research Centre in Habarana via an agreement with the North Central Provincial Council.
He also highlighted expanding air connectivity including British Airways’ return after 11 years, additional Vietnam flights and direct Beijing-Katunayake flights planned for 2027. (Newswire)
