Skift India Report: Tourism Job Postings Surge

The tourism sector is booming in India, and companies have jobs to fill: There was 44% growth in hiring demand in the industry in August, according to latest data by recruitment platform foundit (formerly Monster).

Job postings in the travel and tourism sector gained 16% in 2019, but dropped by half in 2020 during the pandemic. The recovery this year has been dramatic.

Top Job Roles in Demand Across Travel and Tourism Industry:

• Sales and business development
• Engineers — software and electrical
• Marketing and communication.

Tier 2 Cities Reported Maximum Increase in Job Postings:

• Jaipur
• Ahmedabad
• Chandigarh
• Baroda
• Coimbatore

Technological Investments: Many businesses are now investing in digital transformation and technology to recruit and retain employees, noted the report.

The Gig Model: Newer approaches include embracing the gig model of hiring independent workers for short-term commitments, to overcome the talent deficit. According to data from foundit, there has been 14% growth in gig roles since January 2023.

How Indian Travelers Book Accommodations

We read open hotel commerce platform SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2023 that analyses more than 10,000 travelers across 12 of the world’s largest travel source markets, including China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, UK and U.S.

Here’s what we found out about Indian travelers:

• Indians are the most enthusiastic traveller globally and around 78% intend to spend more time travelling over the coming year, compared to the global average of 57%.
• The proportion of travellers intending to work during their next trip is also highest among Indian travellers with 60% wanting to do so.
• While looking for an accommodation, 92% of travellers in India said they are influenced by social media platforms, primarily Youtube and Instagram.
• However, 91% believe that their booking experience and stay onsite could be better if accommodation businesses were more tech-savvy.

Most Preferred Accommodation Type: A hostel, motel or budget option.

Responds to Higher Accommodation Costs by: Staying in whichever accommodation is included in a package deal or choosing a cheaper room.

Begins Researching Accommodation by: Using a search engine, or a specific online travel agency, website or app.

Top Preference to Book Accommodation: An online website, app, search or metasearch engine.

Top Reasons to Abandon Online Booking: Long loading times and non-secure website.

Add-Ons Most Happy to Spend on: Breakfast, view and room size.

Russia Looks to India for Tourism Arrivals

The facilitation of e-visa opportunities and increased direct connectivity between India and Russia would help to increase tourist flow between India and Russia, said Evgeny Kozlov, chairman of Moscow City Tourism Committee.

Flight Connectivity: During his recent trip to India, Kozlov also met Indian Tourism Minister, G Kishan Reddy, to discuss establishing new direct flights to Moscow and St Petersburg.

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot resumed its direct flights from Moscow to Goa and Delhi from September 30. From October 3, Aeroflot also started flights from Ekaterinburg to Goa.

E-Visa: One of the factors supporting the growth of interest from Indian tourists has been the launch of e visas from August 1. With a validity period of 60 days, the evisa allows tourists to stay in Russia for 16 days.

Kozlov also highlighted that a growing number of Indian businessmen are choosing Moscow as their preferred destination for business events.

In the first half of this year, Moscow received about 20,000 Indians — 56% higher than the same period last year.

India, a Key Market for Atlantis Dubai

Acknowledging India as one of the top key markets, a team from Atlantis Dubai visited Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai recently to brief trade partners on Atlantis, The Royal.

The encouraging response from the three cities is indicative of the travelers’ interest in the property, said Neil Shah, account director — international leisure sales of Atlantis Dubai.

“Based on our research, we noticed that behavior of Indian travelers is changing, they look for more experience-based and memorable holidays than simple itineraries. Keeping this in mind we are investing a lot of time in educating the trade partners on the offerings available at Atlantis,” Shah said.

Opened to guests in February this year, the 43-storeyed ultra-luxury resort offers 795 rooms, suites, and penthouses. The grand opening which had Beyonce perform live was attended by many Indian celebrities.

India Drives Dubai’s Tourism Numbers: India was Dubai’s most important source market for tourism in 2022 accounting for 1.8 million arrivals, up 102% over 2021, and just shy of the 1.9 million arrivals in 2019.

And if the number of overnight visitors for the first 7 months of 2023 is an indication, the country may exceed its pre-pandemic arrivals this year. Between January-July this year Dubai welcomed 9.8 million, with the highest number of international guests from India at 1.4 million.

Air India Acquires India’s First A350-900

Air India announced it has successfully acquired India’s first Airbus A350-900 aircraft through a finance lease transaction with HSBC. This is Air India’s first financing transaction from its record-setting orders for 470 aircraft.

Significance of the Transaction: Air India’s first A350-900 is also the first widebody aircraft to have been leased through India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

What This Means for Indian aviation? Calling it a “landmark transaction,” Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial & transformation officer at Air India, said it is also a shot in the arm for the development of a robust aviation ecosystem in India.

Air India Order Status: The first of Air India’s six Airbus A350-900 is expected to arrive in India by the end of this year, with the remainder aircraft scheduled for deliveries through March 2024. In addition to the six Airbus A350-900 aircraft, Air India’s firm orders for 470 new aircraft include 34 A350-1000, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 10 Boeing 777X widebody aircraft, as well as 140 Airbus A320neo, 70 Airbus A321neo and 190 Boeing 737MAX narrowbody aircraft.

Air India had signed purchase agreements to acquire these aircraft with Airbus and Boeing on the sidelines of Paris Air Show held in June.

Hilton Debuts Double Tree by Hilton in Varanasi

Hilton announced the launch of its much-anticipated upscale full-service hotel brand, DoubleTree by Hilton, in Varanasi. Home to historical structures, temples and forts, Varanasi is also a member of the UNESCO creative cities given its cultural prominence.

The 144-key hotel will also feature a 20,000 square feet event space. The hotel will also be equipped with electric vehicle charging points.

The hotel has opened under a franchising agreement between Hilton India and Varanasi-based JHV Construction. This opening further underscores Hilton’s unwavering commitment to expanding its footprint in non-metros and delivering exceptional experiences to travellers throughout the region.

Varanasi has been a popular cultural and religious tourism destination in India, which has been witnessing a surge in religious tourism

According to data released by the Ministry of Tourism, pilgrimage tourism earned Rs 1,34,543 crore in 2022 as compared to Rs 65,070 crore in 2021.

Goa Is Most Affordable Year-End Destination in India: Agoda

Analyzing the average room rates of tourist destinations between December 22-31, Agoda revealed that Goa is the most affordable tourist destination in India, with an average room rate of Rs 7,621 ($92).

The destinations with the lowest average accommodation rates across the Asia Pacific region are Hat Yai in Thailand, Yogyakarta in Indonesia, Kuching in Malaysia, Dalat in Vietnam, Goa in India, Baguio in the Philippines, Nagoya in Japan, Taichung in Taiwan, Melbourne in Australia, and Busan in South Korea. Average room rates vary from Rs 3,562 ($43) in Hat Yai to Rs 13,088 ($157) in Busan.

“2023 has seen a great resurgence in travel across Asia as people reconnect with friends, family and loved ones and that special end-of-year holiday window is likely to be no different” said Krishna Rathi, Country Director India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives at Agoda.