The Travel and Tourism Industry in India Anticipated to Generate

The travel and tourism sector in India is set to experience a significant boom, with predictions indicating the creation of 5.82 crore jobs by 2033. According to NLB Services CEO Sachin Alug, the sector has shown remarkable resilience in the face of challenges, contributing 39 million jobs in 2020, which accounted for 8% of India’s total workforce.

Talent demand in tourism has seen a sharp increase, with a 44% surge in August 2023 alone, leading to an expected addition of 1.6 million jobs in that year. Alug projects a further 58.2 million jobs to be created by 2033, highlighting the sector’s robust growth trajectory.

Key states attracting domestic tourists include Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, with cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Kochi driving hiring growth. Tier II cities such as Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh have also witnessed increased activity in the sector.

In terms of job profiles, sales, business development, chefs, travel consultants, tour operators, hoteliers, guides, wildlife experts, and transportation providers are in high demand. The sector is evolving, with subsets like destination wedding travel, religious tourism, adventure sports tourism, ecotourism, cultural tourism, and rural tourism gaining prominence.

Sustainable tourism is a significant trend, with a global market value of USD 180 billion. Alug also highlighted the adoption of the gig model by companies to address talent shortages, with gig roles like translators, photographers, and tour guides witnessing a 14% increase since January 2023. This trend is expected to continue, with an anticipated growth of 18-20% in the next two years.