ABOUT THE SRI LANKA INSTITUTE OF TOURISM AND HOTEL MANAGEMENT
The Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM) is the only Government approved premier Institute in Sri Lanka, which was established by the Government in 1964 to train young men and women in the complex field of Hospitality and Travel Industry, and is managed by The Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs. Further, in order to facilitate students island-wide, provincial schools have been set up in Anuradhapura, Bandarawela, Pallekelle, Koggala, Ratnapura, and Kurunegala.
Following the ever expanding tourism sector in the country with developments in the travel & hospitality industry, the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management provides a sound professional training to cater for the fast developing needs of the local and international hotel and tourism industries with the best trained and most highly motivated management professionals. During the first 10 years, the focus was to train personnel for top and middle management position in the industry, supplemented with a programme of short courses at craft level, which provided the manpower for the various departments in the hospitality trade.
Over the years SLITHM has fine-tuned its programmes to meet the specific needs of Sri Lankas and Asias changing industry wide market needs and new schemes of training are introduced frequently with opportunities to specialise in industry specific areas. The scheme allows students to be more flexible in the choice of training and provides multiple entry – exit points. It also recognizes prior learning, which benefits those who have gained hands on experience in the industry and who wish acquire further knowledge through a sound professional qualification.
Vision
“To be the Center of Excellence in Training and Education for Human Resource Development of Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Asia”
Mission
Identify, design and deliver training and education programmes in travel, tourism and hospitality management to produce the highest quality professionals for the tourism and hospitality industry.
Train the required manpower to meet the demand for tourism and hospitality industry by addressing ever changing and challenging trends in tourism and hospitality industry.
Deliver tourism and hospitality education and training on par with national and international standards while promoting Sri Lankan hospitality and its values to global heights.
Provide equal opportunities and create an equitable working environment for all youths living in different parts of the country while ensuring sustainable growth in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Expand the capacity of delivering tourism and hospitality education by creating partnership with local and international education entities in a mutually beneficial manner.
To demonstrate excellence through research in tourism and hospitality that adds to international knowledge and connectedness.
Targets
Train around 600,000 Sri Lankan to meet the required manpower for travel, tourism and hospitality industry by year 2016.
To prepare well-rounded, high quality graduates for employment in hospitality, tourism and hotel management nationally and internationally, through training programmes and related courses focusing on hotel operational skills, management practices in the tourism and hospitality industry in changing global business environments.
Gaining the World Tourism Organization Standard (Ted. Qual.) within the next three years.
Achieving wider expansion and presence through strategic alliances, franchising and accreditation within a local and international partner network within two years.
Developing a dedicated human resource development unit in order to facilitate career development and capacity building for staff within one year.
Elevating the present tourism education programmes of SLITHM meet global standards through curriculum development and periodic revision of training methodology.
Our Theme
Taking Sri Lanka to Global Heights – A Journey Towards Excellence in Sri Lankan Hospitality.
Our Values
Our key values reflect who we are and on what we stand for as the national premier institute for human resource development of tourism and hospitality industry.
Quality – We provide first class training and education programmes delivering the premium value to our students.
Equity – We ensure fair and more equal opportunities for every Sri Lankan to meet the required national and international standards of human resources of tourism and hospitality industry for the highest achievement and growth.
Integrity – We strive to uphold the highest standards of professional ethics and disciplines, together, across boundaries, to meet the training requirements of human resources for tourism and hospitality services.
Sustainability – We pursue institutional growth in both responsible and sustainable ways.
