TL;DR SLITHM is the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, a training institute for hotels and travel that is managed by the Ministry of Tourism. Set up in 1964, it runs craft-level courses, a management diploma, tourist guide licensing programs, event management and an honours degree in hotel and resort management. Uplift lists the institute and shows the hospitality degrees you can compare it with.
If you want a hotel or travel career, SLITHM is a long-established route that starts well below degree level. This guide explains what it teaches, where it runs, what it costs to start, and how it differs from a private degree. You can browse the hospitality and tourism programs in the wider business study area alongside it.
What is SLITHM?
SLITHM trains young people for the hospitality and travel industry. Its first decade focused on management training and craft-level short courses, and its programs have since been adjusted to local and regional industry needs. Its website states that it is managed by the Ministry of Tourism, and its head office is at No. 78, Galle Road, Colombo 03. Our SLITHM institute page on Uplift summarises its programs.
Beyond Colombo, SLITHM lists provincial schools in Kandy, Koggala, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Bandarawela, Batticaloa and Jaffna. Not every course runs at every school. Pastry and bakery in the management diploma, for example, is listed for Colombo only.
What does SLITHM teach?
Hotel and hospitality
Hospitality programs include craft-level courses, a four-year management diploma, and a Bachelor of Hotel and Resort Management Honours. Students train in a training kitchen, training restaurants and the Samudra training hotel on Galle Road.
Travel and tourism
Travel programs include the National Tourist Guide and Chauffeur Tourist Guide licensing programs, tourist driver training and refresher programs, and event management. The guide programs are designed to lead to the licence issued by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, so check the authority for licence conditions.
Recognition
SLITHM was recognised as a degree-awarding institute by the Ministry of Higher Education for the Bachelor of Hotel and Resort Management Honours on 19 March 2025, under Section 25A of the Universities Act. Recognition is granted program by program. SLITHM's own pages describe the degree as recognised at SLQF Level 6.
Who can enter SLITHM, and what does it cost?
Entry requirements are modest at craft level, with a minimum age of 16 and education up to the O/L. Licensing programs have their own age, citizenship and experience requirements. Teaching is mostly in English, with some programs also in Sinhala.
SLITHM lists fees on each course page. The craft level course has a registration fee of Rs. 1,000 and an examination fee of Rs. 1,000, plus monthly fees that depend on the specialisation. The tourist guide licensing programs list a registration fee of 1,000, a course fee of 150,000 and an examination fee of 1,000, plus a language test charge. Fees for the degree are not published. SLITHM also states that a limited number of scholarships are offered to students from low-income families, and applicants need a Gramasevaka letter certified by the Divisional Secretariat to verify parental income.
SLITHM's pages still carry an old notice about 2023 intakes, so confirm current dates, fees and entry rules with SLITHM before you apply. The online application form is linked on each SLITHM course page.
