Asian countries are adapting their tourism and hospitality sectors post-pandemic to revive the industry, focusing on innovation and safety measures
Following significant disruptions, the Asia Pacific region is rebounding at a favorable pace. According to G Kishan Reddy, the Union Tourism Minister, roughly 21.5 million individuals in the tourism sector lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Nonetheless, as these industries recuperate, an increasing number of employment prospects are emerging.
The integration of digital technology across various sectors such as Travel, Hospitality, and Tourism has altered hiring patterns. This shift has led to the development of innovative business approaches, consequently changing the required skill sets and placing greater demands on individuals working within these sectors.
Creation of Jobs
Even following the impact of COVID-19 on the travel, hospitality, and tourism industries, these sectors remain among those that are continuously expanding. Despite a nearly 54% downturn in the Asia Pacific region in 2022, as reported by the World Tourism and Travel Council, there has been a significant surge of approximately 36% in these industries presently, surpassing the global average of 30.7%. Continuously, the hospitality, tourism, and travel sectors are generating numerous job opportunities for the younger workforce.
WTTC research indicates that out of every 10 jobs, at least 1 job is created within these sectors. The tourism sector in India alone is projected to witness an increase of 53 million jobs by the end of 2029. The potential for job creation in travel, tourism, and hospitality is extensive due to the dynamic nature of each industry.
Over time, countries in the Asia Pacific region have evolved into hotspots for visitors, resulting in a heightened demand for service providers aiming to fulfill the needs of travellers. This heavy reliance on the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors significantly contributes to an enhanced travel experience for these visitors.
Emerging Opportunities
In this technological era, there’s been a significant shift in work methods—from traditional approaches to electronic ones—visible across various industries, including travel, tourism, and hospitality. This shift has increased the demand for individuals equipped with advanced technological skills and abilities.
Historically, these industries followed specific business models. However, they’ve evolved to offer customers greater control over selecting suitable packages that align with their budgets and preferences, a departure from the earlier rigid models.
As businesses undergo digital transformations to enhance their online presence while prioritising customer satisfaction, there’s a growing need for individuals possessing specific skill sets. The integration of AI and blockchain technologies aims to elevate customer experience, subsequently benefiting the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors. This trend necessitates digital marketers to expand their reach across nations and languages, explicitly growing the industry.
Moreover, within the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors, there are job opportunities in roles such as data analysts, process automation experts, as well as software and application developers.
In addition to this, these sectors also need a significant number of experts in blockchain, robotics engineering, information security analysis, and other fields to enhance their business operations. The expanding travel and tourism industry brings numerous customers to the hospitality sector, leading to the creation of job opportunities each year to meet the needs of these customers. Within the hospitality sector, sought-after job roles include executive managers, chefs, restaurant managers, and more.
Effect on Market
In 2020, the travel, hospitality, and tourism industry contributed roughly $12.19 billion to the GDP. It’s projected to increase to $512 billion by 2028. In the Asia-Pacific region, there was a 36% increase in 2022, likely generating revenue of $692 billion. Employment in these industries is expected to grow by 19.8% annually, creating around 181 million jobs by the end of 2022. In India, the market was valued at $75 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $125 billion by 2027.
As new job opportunities surpass pre-pandemic levels, the demand for specific skills is also rising. The landscape of the industries in the Asia Pacific region is evolving significantly. The travel, hospitality, and tourism sectors are progressing from an average to an advanced level, incorporating new-age tasks and positions.