According to a senior executive at NLB Services, a global technology and digital talent solutions provider, the travel and tourism sector is expected to experience significant growth, resulting in the creation of 5.82 crore jobs across India by 2033.
NLB Services CEO Sachin Alug highlighted that despite challenges, the sector demonstrated resilience during the pandemic, contributing 39 million jobs in 2020, which accounted for 8% of the nation's total workforce. Notably, talent demand in tourism saw a 44% increase in August 2023, with an anticipated addition of 1.6 million jobs in that year alone.
Alug emphasized that the sector's growth trajectory remains strong, with projections indicating the addition of 58.2 million jobs by 2033. Additionally, travel and tourism played a vital role in India's economy, contributing Rs 15.9 lakh crore in 2022 and an estimated Rs 16.5 lakh crore in 2023.
Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra were identified as the top states attracting domestic tourists, with cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Kochi driving hiring growth. Tier II cities such as Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh also witnessed increased activity in the sector.
Alug highlighted key job profiles in demand, including sales, business development, chefs, travel consultants, tour operators, hoteliers, guides, wildlife experts, and transportation providers. He noted the sector's evolution, with emerging subsets like destination wedding travel, religious tourism, adventure sports tourism, ecotourism, cultural tourism, and rural tourism gaining prominence.
Sustainable tourism has also emerged as a significant trend, with a market value of USD 180 billion globally. Alug pointed out the adoption of the gig model by companies to address talent shortages, with gig roles such as 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.
