Ministry steps up tourism

W Dharmasena Matara group corr

Steps have been taken to expand employment opportunities in the tourism sector through the initiatives of the Economic Development Ministry, Deputy Economic Development Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.

Under this programme a Hotel Management Diploma course has been planned in collaboration with the Colombo University. Any person from anywhere in the country could apply to follow the course. Application forms could be obtained from Hotel School branches islandwide.

It is expected that tourist arrivals in the country will reach 2.5 million by 2016 and steps should be taken to train professionals in the industry to cater to this demand. In this regard moves are under way to prepare courses dealing with subjects of Economics, Management Accountancy, IT, Tourist Guiding, Social Science etc to facilitate the industry to employ the best talents.

Applications close on April 30, the Deputy Minister said, adding that the new tourism course could be a boon to the unemployed.