With the boom in Tourism and the consequent development of the Travel & Tourism Industry in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management had provided the much needed professional training for the fast developing Hospitality Industry. For the first 10 years, the accent chs been on training  to provide 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 department of the Hospitality Trade. 

This programme has now been reoriented in keeping with the changing needs of the industry, and the new scheme of training introduced is more intensive and provides opportunities for specializing in particular fields of the Industry. 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 knowledge the experience in the industry and who wishes to develop their professionalism.

The training facilities of the schools include well equipped Training Kitchens, Modern Lecture Rooms, Audio Visual Facilities, Restaurant & Bar, Housekeeping Demonstration Room, Computer Laboratory, and Library. The main school in Colombo boasts of an Auditorium that could accommodate 250 people. The SLITHM pursue an educational philosophy of assisted learning where students learn at self pace and Lecturers act as facilitators of learning, creating opportunities for students to develop personal strength.

The faculty of the school is comprised of Lecturers professionally qualified to nurture students who wish to pursue studies in Professional Cookery, Food & Beverage Operations, Front Office Operations and Hotel Housekeeping with Visiting Lecturers covering Foreign Languages i.e. English, German & French and other related subjects such as Principles of Management, Financial Management, Hotel Law & Legislation, Maintenance, Computer Literacy, Hotel Sales & Marketing, Nutrition,  Food Costing, Environmental Studies, Tourism, Wine Studies, Interior Decoration and Laundry Operations.