A joint tourism promotion programme by a coordinated drive among the seven Provincial Councils is to be launched soon, Ministry of Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda said in Galle on Sunday.

He was addressing the Provincial Chief Ministers at a conference held.

The minister said the terrorism had harmed the tourism industry and short term and long term plans to develop the industries where necessary to revive it for the benefit of the country.

A new hotel school was built at Weligama and it would start training personnel this month, Chief Minister, Southern Province Shan Wijelal de Silva said.