Chennai: Additional hiring in the tourism and hospitality sector is expected to hit pre-pandemic levels by the end of the fourth quarter, according to recruiting firm TeamLease Services.
The pandemic had hit the entire tourism and hotel industry hard. However, with the easing of lockdown restrictions and higher vaccination coverage, the sector is experiencing increased traffic.
“In the third quarter, hiring demand increased by 20% compared to the same quarter last year. We anticipate another 30-40% increase in phased hires and this could bring hiring to pre-pandemic levels, ”said Ajoy Thomas, business manager (retail, e-commerce, logistics and transportation), TeamLease Services, based on hiring data.
The resumption of domestic travel to tourist destinations has resulted in the hiring of maintenance staff, travel consultants, support staff, tour guide, visa consultant, vacation consultant, restaurant managers, bartenders and waiters. The majority of the increase in manpower needs is in places of tourist interest. Domestic tourism is on the rise, particularly in the form of “stays”, which is leading to the partial recovery of the sector.
Adventure tourism, ski and snow destinations are the new emerging areas where talent is most in demand. Wellness and nature vacations, homecoming, rural tourism and short road trips have become popular travel choices for tourists.
In order to attract foreign tourists, the ministry announced that the first 500,000 electronic visas issued until March 2022 will be free and that the electronic visa facility will be extended to 169 countries.
Foreign tourists travel largely during summer vacation, with bookings made in the fourth quarter.
The hiring of tech professionals has also taken place, according to Thomas, as the industry also embraces new era technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality. “In addition, every job requires professionals to be tech-savvy, as the use of technology has increased after the pandemic,” he said.
…