With over one lakh fresh jobs, hotel industry could revitalise Indian job market in the next 18 months: Report

After facing substantial job cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic, hotel operators are now actively recruiting thousands of employees to support their ambitious expansion strategies and address vacancies created by high attrition rates.

TeamLease Services, a staffing services firm, estimates that approximately 200,000 jobs will be generated in the hotel, restaurant and tourism sectors within the next 12 to 18 months, effectively revitalising the Indian job market. Of these, approximately half the positions will be within the hotel industry, as per Balasubramanian A, Vice President and Head of Consumer, Hospitality and E-commerce at TeamLease.

Alok Kumar, President of ManpowerGroup India, has revealed that there has already been a 20-25% increase in demand from both existing and new hotel properties compared to last year. This surge is driven by the relaxation of travel restrictions and the resurgence of consumer confidence in leisure and business travel.

In fact, TeamLease has predicted a significant uptick in both domestic and foreign tourism in India over the next one to two years. Domestic tourist numbers are expected to increase by 10 million, while foreign tourist arrivals are projected to grow by 20% during the same period, with a potential tripling within the next five to six years. This growth trajectory bodes well for the hotel industry.

To accommodate this increasing demand in both business and leisure travel, hotels are gearing up to expand their operations by adding more rooms, venturing into new markets, and bolstering their workforce. Their recruitment efforts will reportedly encompass a variety of positions, including permanent, temporary, and gig roles.

Chains such as Royal Orchid Hotels, Fortune Hotels, and Lemon Tree are looking to add thousands of rooms this fiscal year, for which they also plan to hire new employees in the thousands. They will particularly look to fill key positions such as front desk agents, concierges, guest relations managers, housekeeping, and maintenance staff, along with specialised roles like maintenance technicians and chefs, the report indicates.

All in all, this heightened demand is indicative of the industry's anticipated revenue growth of 7-9% in fiscal year 2025, as projected by a recent report from ratings firm ICRA.

(With inputs from The Economic Times)