The labour-intensive hospitality sector is likely to be hit by an acute shortage of manpower by 2016 when over 22.6 lakh rooms will be added across the country.
Tamil Nadu, which envisages good growth potential will also be affected by this manpower crunch.
Though the sector has a huge potential for generating employment and attracting investments, matching efforts by the Central government would augur well to make the sector contribute significantly for reducing poverty, feel experts.
At present, about 5.3 crore people are employed in the hotel industry accounting for 9.24 per cent of total employment in the country.
“If India’s employability is to be treated as a serious concern, then this sector comprising hospitality deserves a much-needed push to create employment opportunities,” said Mr Kamlesh Barot, president of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
The approach paper for the 12th plan highlights the need to adopt a “pro poor tourism approach”, aimed at increasing net benefits for the poor from tourism and to ensure that tourism growth contributes to poverty reduction.
Taking into account the upcoming shortage, the FHRAI has decided to adopt “employment generation: engine of inclusive growth,” as the theme for its 47th convention to be held in Goa from September 6
to 8.
Meanwhile, the federation is planning to train and absorb about 65,000 persons under the “Hunar se Rozgar Tak” scheme — an initiative of the Union tourism ministry to create employable skills among youth in the 18-25 year age group offering free short-term training programmes in food and beverages services and also covering housekeeping.