Tourism and hospitality sector poised to add 61 lakh new jobs in India by 2034: Report
The tourism and hospitality sector is expected to add 61 lakh new jobs in India by 2034, according to a report on Wednesday. A white paper released by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and EY at the 18th CII Tourism Summit, showed that despite the constraints from the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector is seeing a strong resurgence, fueled by domestic tourism.
Currently, this sector contributes to about 8 percent of India’s total employment.
The report noted that “by 2034, spending in this sector is expected to increase 1.2 times, resulting in the need for 61 lakh additional workers. This will include 46 lakh men and 15 lakh women — highlighting the sector’s key role in gender inclusion and workforce development”.
To meet this growing demand, the CII-EY report highlighted the need for specialized skills in digital marketing, sustainable tourism, and customer service.
Recommend development of gamified learning management systems (LMS) for continuous professional development; working with industry associations to create clear career development pathways; and establishing a task force under the Ministry of Tourism to measure skills and education.
The whitepaper also “underlines the importance of encouraging labor participation, especially among women, while taking advantage of opportunities such as medical tourism. It advocates the creation of a central tourism and hospitality organization to improve governance, address disparate infrastructure, and improve efficiency.
In line with global trends, the report emphasizes the integration of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to position India as a creative destination for tourism. Recommendations include recognition of the state of the industry, targeted funding, and Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) programs to accelerate job creation.
Notably, the report introduces the Tourism Employment Index (TEI) to better analyze employment dynamics. It explores the development of the gig economy to provide flexibility and high-quality services during peak seasons, while community-driven programs and the popularity of Gen Z workers are identified as key factors that enable an inclusive and youthful workplace.
“Looking forward to 2036-37, this sector is expected to require an additional 61.31 lakh workers to cater for the increase in tourism activities. Efforts aimed at developing women and marginalized communities will be very important to close the skills gap and increase opportunities in the sector to develop the economy and create job opportunities,” the report said.
