So far, India’s workforce is feeling a bit better after a new report on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on traditional jobs. In the next ten years, tourism and hospitality will be one of the largest job producers, and it will create millions of jobs for workers of all skill levels.
According to the latest report of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), the Indian tourism and hospitality industry will create 30 lakh (3 million) jobs by 2028. So is the sector’s contribution to the Indian economy and its growing demand for skilled, semi-skilled, and entry-level workers?
The total workforce employed in the tourism and hospitality sector will rise from 1.18 crore (11.8 million) in 2024 to 1.48 crore (14.8 million) in 2028 as a result of the rapid growth of the sector due to growing domestic travel, international travel, better infrastructure, and increasing spending on leisure and experiences.
The report’s major takeaway was the huge number of jobs in the hotel, restaurant, and food service sectors. These are going to account for the vast majority of new job creation in the future. Because of the demand for travel in the hospitality industry, business owners are going to expand, create new businesses, and enhance customer service; all these jobs will be required.
The sector also provides for people with various educational and professional backgrounds, the report says. Be it a trained hospitality professional, a semi-skilled worker, or a fresher entering the job market (the tourism industry is full of job opportunities), these are the types of jobs we can expect to have. Hotel management, food and beverage operations, housekeeping, customer relations, travel operations, event management, and tourism services will all be in demand.
Another surprising aspect of the report is that accommodation and food services account for nearly 93% of employment in the tourism and hospitality ecosystem. So that 9 out of every 10 jobs in the sector are likely to come from hotels, restaurants, cafes, resorts, and other food service establishments. So the businesses in these sectors will be crucial in employment growth.
The growth of the tourism sector will also benefit India's youth population. Job prospects are favourable, and the hospitality sector is a great career option for young people. The industry also has a real job-oriented philosophy of practical skills and customer service (e.g., with an emphasis on the customer-first approach, the customer experience approach).
Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu are expected to lead the way in tourism-related job creation in India as a whole and regionally as well. These states have developed tourism infrastructure in place; the tourism-oriented industry is well established, and there's strong hospitality infrastructure supporting a constant influx of domestic and international visitors. Their continued investment in tourism development is going to create thousands of new jobs in the next decade.
For all the huge changes happening in the AI industry, tourism and hospitality are still people-oriented fields, where every human interaction, customer service, and personalised service are the only keys to success. The THSC report further argues that this sector will continue to be a huge employment engine for India and, in turn, create millions of jobs and contribute significantly to the economy by 2028.
