Minister unveils Tourism Week plans, revives SIHM, opens NITHM admissions
Tourism, culture and excise minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday announced a Rs 5‑crore grant to strengthen the State Institute of Hospitality Management (SIHM), Zaheerabad, and launched new bakery and confectionery courses supported by the SC Corporation.
Admissions for BBA and MBA courses at the National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM) have opened for the new academic year.
The minister inaugurated Tourism Week celebrations at SIHM under the Praja Palana – Pragati Pranalika programme and unveiled a tourist guide poster prepared by the department.
He said SIHM, underutilised for years, was being revived to provide vocational skills and self‑employment opportunities to rural youth, particularly SC, ST and BC students. The government, he added, was working to provide stipends to poor students so financial constraints do not affect training.
Highlighting employment opportunities in tourism and hospitality, Rao urged students to focus on skill development and foreign languages to compete globally. He directed NITHM director Venkata Ramana to introduce modern courses aligned with industry demands and advised parents to encourage children towards skill‑oriented, employment‑focused education.
