Hotel training bonanza

The Economic Development Ministry has taken steps to train 2,000 young men and women in the hotel trade. Since trained personnel were needed in the tourism industry Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa directed that rural youth be trained in the trade, Ministry Media Director K. Ariyawansa told Daily News yesterday.

According to Tourist Hotel Management Institute Director General D A C Silva, the training scheme had commenced under the Mahinda Chintana policy of finding employment for rural youth. Some of those who were trained have been able to find employment in Sri Lanka as well as abroad, he said.

The Tourist Hotel Management Institute has started courses of study on hotel management in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kandy, Matara and Hambantota districts. The subjects taught are housekeeping, cookery, hotel and restaurant service. The duration of the course is three months, fulfilling the need of the industry as it is growing presently with peace in the country, he noted. The Ministry expects tourism to grow rapidly and by 2016 the projected tourist arrivals in the country would reach the 2.5 million mark and the number to be employed in the tourist industry would be about 600, 000 personnel.

The Tourist Hotel Management Institute would step up the training program over the years to be able to serve the increased numbers of tourists expected in the country, he also said. (L.de S)