India’s Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) has partnered with Visa to skill 20,000 youth for tourism-related jobs over the next three years. The agreement is valued at $1 million, with youths from 10 Indian states being trained for roles essential to the tourism industry such as tour guides and customer service executives. Tourism is a major industry in India, contributing close to $200 billion to its GDP. However, there is an employment gap in the hospitality sector, with companies expected to create around 200,000 jobs in the next 12 to 18 months, but facing challenges in retaining young professionals due to issues such as low wages and long hours.
To address the need for talent in the hotel industry, Sarovar Hotels has launched the Sarovar Leadership Development Program in collaboration with the Indian School of Hospitality. The program aims to provide career development opportunities to young professionals in the hospitality sector. Similarly, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company has introduced the Kotak Nifty India Tourism Index Fund, which mirrors Nifty’s tourism index to represent the travel and tourism theme. This comes after the National Stock Exchange launched the Nifty India Tourism Index in June to showcase the performance of travel and tourism companies within the Nifty 500 Index. Yatra Online also announced its acquisition of Globe Travels, a corporate travel services provider, for $15.25 million in cash to expand its corporate customer base and strengthen its market position.
Air India Express has added Agartala as its 32nd domestic destination, initiating daily direct flights from Guwahati and Kolkata to the city. The airline has also launched new routes including Hyderabad-Guwahati, Bangalore-Vijayawada, and Bangalore-Indore, highlighting its rapid expansion. Further, Indonesia’s Bintan Resorts is targeting the Indian market through a marketing campaign in major cities in partnership with VFS Global, positioning Bintan Island as a complementary destination to Singapore. Additionally, Sarovar Hotels has opened Deventure Sarovar Portico in Delhi’s Patel Nagar, adding to its portfolio of hotels and aiming to operate 125 hotels in India by the end of 2024.
Vistara is set to merge with Air India on November 12, with plans for the last Vistara flight to be on November 11. Customers will not be able to make bookings for travel with Vistara after November 11, with existing bookings being transferred to Air India flights. The loyalty programs of the two airlines will also be combined, and Air India is upgrading its fleet and expanding its network to take over as the merged entity. The airline has introduced its flagship Airbus A350-900 on the Delhi-London Heathrow route as part of its transformation program. Overall, these developments in the tourism and hospitality sector in India reflect efforts to address talent gaps, expand market presence, and cater to growing demand in the industry.
