The Government of Switzerland agreed to provide assistance in upgrading the standard of the courses of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management to the degree level. This agreement was reached during a meeting between Hon. Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranatunga and the Switzerland Ambassador to Sri Lanka, H.E, Dominik Furgler.

The discussion between the Hon. Minister of Tourism and the Switzerland Ambassador to Sri Lanka took place at the Ministry of Tourism last Friday (23).

Hon.Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranatunga told the Switzerland Ambassador to Sri Lanka that he intends to upgrade the standard of the existing courses of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management so as to enable foreign students to study at the institute and that discussions are underway to upgrade the institute to a university college. The Ambassador welcomed the move and said that the Swiss government was ready to extend its fullest cooperation.

At present, the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management is run as an institution that provides vocational training to youth for employment in the hotel industry. In addition to the main school in Colombo, arrangements have been made to run 09 hotel schools covering 09 provinces of the country. More than 3000 students are studying in them. The Minister pointed out that with the Covid -19 situation, the interest of the youth in employment in the tourism sector has diminished and that situation should be changed.

The Switzerland Ambassador stated that there are a number of higher education institutions in Switzerland based on hotel management. The Ambassador also stated that the assistance of those universities could be provided for this purpose.

The Ambassador commended the opening of the country to tourists to rebuild the tourism industry, even in the face of the Covid -19 pandemic, and thanked the President and the Government for the measures taken by Sri Lanka to prevent the Covid -19 in Sri Lanka.

Mr.S. Hettiarachchi, Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism and Mrs.Kimali Fernando, Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority also participated in the discussion.