Kozhikode: Kerala's second Institute of Hospitality Management and Catering Technology (IHMCT) will start functioning from next month, state Tourism Secretary V. Venu said here on Wednesday.

The institute will start functioning from a temporary facility here on Aug 4. A five-acre plot in Kozhikode city has been identified to locate the institute and the work on the building is expected to be completed in three years.

The central and state governments together will spend Rs.156.5 million to set up the institute. Initially, the institute will offer three-year graduate course in hospitality management.

"The institute is a milestone in the effort of the tourism department to provide higher education in the field of hospitality management. The selection of the students will be based on the examination conducted at the national level," Venu said.

The tourism secretary said compared to the rest of Kerala, the six northern districts in the state are attracting only a limited numbers of foreign tourists.

"These districts lack in tourism infrastructure."

"Only six percent of the total available rooms in the state are located in these area. The foreign tourists visiting these districts constitute only five percent of the total arrivals in Kerala," he added. IANS