Hospitality Industry Growth, Career Opportunities,and the Future of Experiential Hospitality

There are many expressions coined to capture the uniqueness that is attached with the world of hospitality. A bouquet of intangible experiences offered to guests in a hotel, resort, cruises, restaurant, theme parks, homestays, catering / banquets, or may be in a wellness spa – some curated, some impromptu – creates memories for them that are treasured for life.

Whether dealing with guests on a leisure trip or participating in corporate event, the purpose of a hospitality professional is to anticipate a guests need. This is an industry where irrespective of the level of automation, and / or use of artificial intelligence to elevate guest experience, the value of a human presence to look into a guest need does not depreciate.

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Growth in India

It is essential to understand that the main driver of the hospitality industry is tourism. An IBEF report mentions that according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), there will be a significant rise in contribution by Travel and Tourism sector to the GDP of India, from US $256 billion in CY 2024 to US$ 523 billion CY 2034.

In 2024 tourism supported through 46.5 million jobs, which was 9.1% of India’s employment. It is anticipated that the travel and Tourism industry is expected to grow at 7.1% annually, besides, FDI inflows into hotel and tourism industry between April 2000 and March 2025 stood at US$13.78 billion, which is 2.54% of the total inflow of FDI’s across sectors.

Furthermore, in the 2025-26 union budget an outlay of INR 2,500 crore was allocated for development of tourism infrastructure and INR 20,000 was assigned for the development of 50 key destinations with the participation of state governments. In addition, the budget also saw the initiatives like offering MUDRA loans under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) for homestays, improving connectivity and introducing e-visa facilities.
These are indicators of the confidence the government has on the potential of tourism and hospitality industry to become the driver of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Experiential Hospitality and Changing Guest Expectations

IExperiential Hospitality has led to hotel companies curating events and personalising stays of guests to create memories, keeping focus on giving value for their money. These initiatives require an in-depth planning through multiple interactions to understand how the guest is visualizing their stay.

Whether it’s a traveller for leisure, interested to explore culture, food and scenic wonders that a destination has to offer or a business traveller with basic requirements of food and stay, they would always want something more than what they experienced earlier. This mindset of a traveller keeps the hospitality industry evolving and growing.

Hospitality Industry Expansion in Tier II and Tier III Cities

Giving more to this momentum is the opportunities that most hotel companies see in Tier II and Tier III cities of India. According to a recent report by HVS, nearly 80% of new hotel projects are coming in these cities with inclusion of destination of pilgrimages and a new concept of Concert and Live Event Tourism taking shape, the tourism and hospitality industry is witnessing an upward swing like never before.

Future of Hospitality Careers and the Role of Technology

This surge noticed in the tourism and hospitality industry has been opening up an array of opportunities that need professionals with domain knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to step in and take the industry to the next level.
The future of hospitality would also be data driven and understanding the application of artificial intelligence will be relevant for staying competitive and grow.
Strong fundamentals and sharp entrepreneurial skills can be acquired by choosing the correct programme that would lay the technical foundation, on which a budding hospitality professionals can develop attributes of an entrepreneur through industry experience.

Programmes such as the BBA in Hospitality and Culinary Management at Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences (SSCANS), Pune, the evolution of modern management courses, preparing students for leadership roles across hotels, tourism, events, culinary enterprises, and service industries. As part of the larger ecosystem of BBA Hospitality Management programmes, students gain access to industry-aligned learning, making SSCANS one of the most preferred institutions among hospitality management colleges in Pune and best hospitality management colleges in India.

Students exploring bba at symbiosis often evaluate programme structure, industry exposure, and long-term career outcomes, alongside practical considerations such as symbiosis pune bba fees and curriculum specialization. Choosing the right programme from among the bba colleges in pune and best bba colleges in pune becomes critical for building strong professional foundations. A specialized bba hospitality management or bba in hospitality programme provides interdisciplinary exposure to service management, business strategy, tourism, culinary operations, and experiential hospitality, ensuring graduates are prepared for emerging global opportunities.

Ajay Kumar Krishna, PhD
Deputy Director
Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences (SSCANS), Pune