India's tourism industry to add 58.2 million jobs by 2033
Dhaka: The travel and tourism sector of India will be adding 58.2 million jobs by 2033, said the latest assessment by talent solutions provider NLB Services. The development follows a growth momentum fuelled by India becoming one of the world’s top travel destinations in the post pandemic times.
Serving as a key source of foreign exchange, the travel and tourism sector contributed RS 15.9 trillion (USD 191.25 billion) to India’s economy in 2022 and was estimated at RS 16.5 trillion for 2023, added the report.
The sector’s growth has led to steadfast employment generation across the country both in Tier I and Tier II locations, further mentioned NLB Services.
As per their assessment, in the pandemic year 2020, the tourism sector accounted for 39 million jobs, constituting 8 per cent of the nation’s total workforce. However, this sector was one of those which saw the quickest recovery. Talent demand in tourism recorded a 44 per cent surge in August 2023 and 1.6 million additional jobs were expected to be added within CY 2023.
The top five states attracting domestic tourists so far include Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Top cities driving the increase in hiring include Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Kochi. In tier II cities, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.
In the coming nine years, new jobs are also expected across emerging cities or locations like Gujarat, Lakshadweep and West Bengal.
Prominent job profiles that will continue to be in demand experiencing YoY surges include sales (18pc surge), business development (17pc surge), chefs (15pc surge), travel consultants (15pc surge), tour operators (15pc surge), travel agents (15pc surge), hoteliers (15pc surge), guides (20pc surge), wildlife experts (12pc surge) and transportation providers (15pc surge).
As of March 2024, 50 per cent of online job postings in the travel and tourism sector were for freshers or entry-level positions (0-3 years of experience). Intermediate-level roles (4-6 years of experience) and top management positions (15+ years of experience) each represented a 30 per cent and 20 per cent share of the total demand respectively.
The country’s travel and tourism sector is also undergoing massive transformation, with many new subsets like destination wedding travel, religious tourism, international tourism, adventure sports tourism, ecotourism, cultural tourism and rural tourism emerging in the new decade.
Another interesting emergence is that of sustainable tourism which has observed substantial global adoption, with a market value reaching USD 180 billion, claimed NLB Services.
Companies are also adopting the gig model to address talent shortages and meet the growing demand from tourists. Since January 2023, there has been a 14 per cent increase in gig roles within the travel and tourism sector, encompassing positions such as translators, photographers and tour guides. This is further expected to increase by 18-20 per cent in the next two years.
- T
