If you work in travel, hotels or tourism, or you have been waiting for a break in the sector, the next six months look brighter than they have in a while. A new hiring outlook released this week says most employers in travel and hospitality are planning to add staff, not cut back, as demand for trips, events and stays keeps building across India.
The findings come from TeamLease Services and its Employment Outlook Report for the second half of 2026-27, covering October to March. The report says 81 per cent of employers in the sector plan to expand their workforce in that period, with a net employment change of 12.3 per cent. In plain terms, hiring is expected to grow faster than exits, and the growth is spread across frontline jobs as well as sales, finance and technology roles.
The survey covered 1,239 businesses across 23 industries and 20 cities, between July and August 2026.
Where the hiring is happening
Frontline work leads the list. Blue-collar roles, the staff who keep hotels, airports, tour operations and event venues running day to day, show the highest hiring intent at 52 per cent. Sales and marketing follows closely at 50 per cent, as companies compete for bookings and corporate travel. Finance roles stand at 40 per cent, information technology at 31 per cent, and back-office and administration at 22 per cent.
City-wise, Mumbai leads at 29 per cent, followed by Bengaluru at 27 per cent and Delhi at 20 per cent. Kolkata and Gurugram follow at 19 per cent and 18 per cent. Growth is also linked to rising travel from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, so opportunities are not confined to the metros.
Why employers are hiring now
Three drivers stand out. The first is meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, often shortened to MICE: as companies bring back large offsites and conferences, hotels need larger teams to host them. The second is experiential tourism, with travellers asking for food walks, heritage tours and stays with a distinct character. The third is steadier demand from smaller cities, as more travellers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns book trips.
Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President at TeamLease Services, said travel and hospitality is a people-intensive sector where service quality depends closely on workforce readiness, and employers must balance staffing flexibility with consistent customer experiences.
Pay is expected to rise too
Alongside hiring, pay is moving in the right direction. According to TeamLease Services and its Jobs and Salaries Primer for 2026-27, the travel and hospitality industry is projected to record an average salary increment of 9.2 per cent in 2026-27, up from 8.5 per cent in the previous financial year.
That is a projection, not a promise for every employee, and increments will vary by role, city and company performance. Even so, it suggests employers expect to compete harder to attract and keep good people.
For freshers, frontline roles offer the clearest entry point, and many hotels train new joiners on the job. Sales, finance and technology roles tend to ask for prior experience or specific skills, so a short course, an internship or a few months of frontline work can help.
What jobseekers should do next
- Frontline roles: highlight reliability, customer handling and any hotel, restaurant or event experience, even if it was short term or seasonal.
- Sales and marketing: show bookings, targets or campaigns you worked on, and comfort with booking platforms and corporate clients.
- Finance and back office: stress accuracy, billing, vendor coordination and experience with hotel or travel software.
- Technology roles: focus on booking engines, property management systems and customer support tools used in travel.
- Location: Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi lead hiring intent, but do not ignore Kolkata, Gurugram and growing Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.
Check the role, location and shift pattern before applying. Hospitality work often involves weekends, early starts and late finishes. The message is encouraging without being overblown: employers are hiring across functions, and they expect to pay a little more to keep the teams they build.
FAQs
How many travel and hospitality employers plan to hire more staff?
According to the TeamLease Employment Outlook Report, 81 per cent of employers in the sector plan to expand their workforce in the second half of 2026-27.
What is the projected net employment change?
The report projects a net employment change of 12.3 per cent for October to March in 2026-27.
Which roles show the strongest hiring intent?
Blue-collar roles lead at 52 per cent, followed by sales and marketing at 50 per cent and finance at 40 per cent. Information technology stands at 31 per cent and back-office and administration at 22 per cent.
Which cities lead hiring intent?
Mumbai leads at 29 per cent, followed by Bengaluru at 27 per cent and Delhi at 20 per cent. Kolkata is at 19 per cent and Gurugram at 18 per cent.
How much are salaries expected to rise?
TeamLease projects an average salary increment of 9.2 per cent in 2026-27, up from 8.5 per cent in the previous year. Actual increments will vary by role and employer.
TeamLease will update its outlook as the half year progresses, and hiring plans can change with demand. For now, the direction is clear: travel and hospitality is hiring, and the months ahead are a good time to be ready.
