Tourism to Create 3 million Jobs by 2028
India's tourism and hospitality sector is projected to generate nearly 3 million new jobs by 2028, with the workforce expected to expand from 11.8 million in 2024 to 14.8 million. According to a report by the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), hotels, restaurants and food services will remain the biggest employment generators, creating opportunities across skilled, semi-skilled and entry-level roles. While the projections underline the sector's immense economic potential, they also highlight the urgent need for India to strengthen infrastructure, connectivity and service quality to emerge as a globally competitive tourism destination.
A Sector with Immense Untapped Potential
India possesses one of the world's most diverse tourism offerings, ranging from UNESCO World Heritage Sites and spiritual destinations to beaches, wildlife reserves, mountains and rich culinary traditions. A large domestic travel market has played a crucial role in reviving the sector after the pandemic, while international tourism continues to recover steadily.
According to official estimates, tourism contributed over ₹19.13 trillion to India's GDP in 2023 and supported nearly 43 million jobs. Looking ahead, the government's Vision 2047 aims to attract 100 million foreign tourists annually, making tourism a key pillar of economic growth. Achieving this target, however, will require India to compete not only on affordability and cultural diversity but also on world-class infrastructure, seamless travel experiences and high service standards.
Employment Outlook: Millions of New Opportunities
The THSC report projects that India's tourism and hospitality workforce will increase to 14.8 million by 2028, adding nearly 3 million jobs over four years. Around 1.1 million skilled, 1.1 million semi-skilled and 0.8 million entry-level positions are expected to be created, making the sector one of the country's largest sources of employment.
Accommodation and food services are projected to account for nearly 93% of total employment, with hotels, restaurants, cafés, resorts and allied businesses leading recruitment. Alongside traditional hospitality roles, demand is also expected to grow for professionals in digital marketing, revenue management, customer experience, event management and travel technology as the industry increasingly embraces digital transformation.
What India Must Do to Unlock Its Tourism Potential
Despite strong demand, India still faces several structural challenges that limit its ability to attract significantly higher international tourist arrivals. Industry experts have consistently pointed to cumbersome visa processes, inadequate last-mile connectivity, uneven hygiene standards, poor destination management and limited global branding as major obstacles.
Improving urban transport, maintaining cleaner public spaces, expanding multilingual signage and strengthening women's safety remain essential for enhancing the visitor experience. Equally important is investing in skill development for frontline tourism workers, ensuring consistent service quality across destinations.
Government initiatives such as Swadesh Darshan 2.0, PRASHAD, the Vibrant Village Programme and Paryatan Mitra have laid a strong foundation. However, sustained progress will depend on closer coordination between the Centre, state governments, local authorities and the private sector to develop tourism infrastructure and market India's diverse destinations more effectively.
Turning Tourism Potential into Sustainable Growth
The projected addition of nearly 3 million jobs reflects tourism's growing role as a powerful engine of employment and economic development. However, creating jobs alone will not be enough. India must focus equally on improving infrastructure, service quality, destination management and global competitiveness to fully realise its tourism ambitions. With sustained investment, better policy execution and a stronger emphasis on visitor experience, the tourism and hospitality sector can become one of the country's most significant drivers of inclusive growth, regional development and long-term economic prosperity.
(With agency inputs)
