The Government will examine the possibilities of setting up a tourism university in the state to tap immense opportunities offered by the fast-growing sector, Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas has said.

The Minister was addressing a felicitation ceremony, ‘Take Off ‘23’, organised at Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS).

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In Kerala, tourism has plenty of scope to further develop and generate a large number of employment for youths with proper skills and training. If a university is set up based out of KITTS this immense potential of tourism sector could be tapped fully, Riyas said. In such a scenario, food craft and hospitality institutes could also be brought together, he said.

“By bringing together institutes for tourism studies, and providing training on par with international standards, Kerala Tourism aims at moulding skilled professionals to handle a wide variety of jobs in the fast-expanding sector, the Minister said.

Tourism sector is poised to soar new heights especially with more domestic and international flights coming to the state, he said.

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Minister also noted that the tourism sector in Kerala has made major strides in developing human resources. The Tourism Department is also making efforts to create a pool of skilled professionals to meet the growing demands.

Riyas said ensuring quality and competence is vitally important to ensure good placements for youths trained in KITTS.