Travel, hospitality sector hiring to rise in H2 as 81% of employers plan workforce expansion

Mumbai: Hiring in the travel and hospitality sector is set to gain momentum in the second half of this year, with 81 per cent of employers planning to expand their workforce amid rising demand for talent across operations, sales and business functions, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Hiring across India's travel and hospitality sector is gaining momentum, with the Net Employment Change (NEC) projected at 12.3 per cent for HY2 2026-27, according to TeamLease Services' Employment Outlook Report.

With 81 per cent of employers planning workforce expansion, the outlook points to continued hiring activity across the sector, driven by demand for talent across operational, sales and business functions.


The Employment Outlook Report is based on responses from 1,239 businesses, including the travel and hospitality sector, across 23 industries and 20 cities, covering small, medium and large-scale enterprises between July and August 2026.

The report further revealed that at a functional level, hiring intent is led by blue-collar roles at 52 per cent, closely followed by sales and marketing at 50 per cent.

Finance stands at 40 per cent, while information technology accounts for 31 per cent and back-office and administration for 22 per cent.

The pattern highlights demand across frontline operations as well as functions supporting customer acquisition, financial management and day-to-day business operations across the travel and hospitality ecosystem.

TeamLease Services Senior Vice President Balasubramanian A said, "Travel and hospitality is a people-intensive sector where service quality and operational efficiency are closely linked to workforce readiness. As travel patterns evolve and businesses prepare for seasonal fluctuations, employers will need to balance staffing flexibility with the need for consistent customer experiences. This makes access to the right talent across frontline operations and supporting functions an important factor in sustaining service standards and building long-term business resilience."

Meanwhile, the report found that geographically, Mumbai records the highest expansion intent for travel and hospitality at 29 per cent, followed by Bengaluru at 27 per cent and Delhi at 20 per cent.

Kolkata and Gurgaon also feature among the locations tracked in the report, with expansion intent of 19 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively, the report added.