Ajay Khajuria
Though tourism is one of the largest economic sectors, creating exports and prosperity around the World, its role in employment generation and the economy as a whole is often underestimated. It is little known that tourism is a major source of employment because of its labour intensive nature and the multiplier effect it has on employment in related sectors. As per estimates of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), one job in the core tourism sector creates about one and a half additional or indirect jobs in the tourism related economy. Moreover, growth rates in the tourism sector are outpacing world economic growth and international trade. In its report, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), has disclosed that in 2018 the tourism sector accounted for 10.4% of the global GDP and 319 million jobs equivalent to 10% of total employment worldwide.
To foster awareness about tourism’s role in job creation and the contribution that the sector can make to the Sustainable Development Goals, the theme ‘Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all’ has been adopted by the UNWTO for World Tourism Day 2019. Though generally recognized in terms of images of Airlines, Luxury Hotels and Exotic Destinations, tourism not only comprises a plethora of organizations, large and small, across the world, that create products and services like accommodation, transportation, food and beverages, entertainment, sports and recreation, but is also a viable sector for the rural and remote areas where it can create jobs both directly as well as indirectly through the preservation and restoration of traditional local activities. The transformational potential of tourism in affecting positively the livelihoods and prosperity amongst local communities has been recognized in goal 8 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which urges member nations to “…devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.
An example of the transformation that tourism can bring by creating jobs is not far to seek. The pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine of Vaishnodevi ji has created thousands of jobs, and changed the lives of, not only the inhabitants of Katra and its surrounding areas but also for the ponywalas and pithoos from other areas, as also for people engaged in the transportation, accommodation, food and beverages and allied sectors in Jammu and up to Lakhanpur. In fact, there can hardly be any doubt that jobs stand created along the entire route up to the places from where the pilgrim/tourists emanate.
This example, however, also brings into focus the gap between the tourism potential and the efforts to realize the same in the Jammu Region as a whole. It cannot be denied that the vast variety of natural features in the mountainous areas of Jammu, with the Pir Panchal Range and the Kishtwar Himalayas on its North-East and the Shivalik Range along with offshoots of the lesser Himalayas, right from Basohli in the East to Rajouri in the West, comprising its middle, offer innumerable opportunities for a variety of tourist activities. But a Nelson’s eye seems to have been turned by the powers that be to the rich flora & fauna, snow-capped mountain peaks, scenic landscapes and diverse hinter cultures, which can provide delightful experiences in the region to lakhs of tourists interested in Leisure, Heritage, Adventure and Ecotourism.
The available adventure and ecotourism opportunities have the potential of taking tourists to the remotest corners of the region. Besides Paragliding at Pancheri, Pouni, Athem, Sanasar and Chinta; Skiing at Patnitop, Madhatop, Sanasar, Bhaderwah, Padri and Dhaggar; River-rafting in the Chenab near Reasi; and, Mountaineering in the Kishtwar Himalayas, there are innumerable trekking opportunities along trails across the length and breadth of the entire mountainous areas of the region for both the summer as well as winter months. Needless to emphasize that these opportunities present the possibility of improving the lot of the populations living even in the far flung areas of the region by opening up new job opportunities in the tourism sector.
Another important feature of jobs in the tourism sector is the potential for employing more women and young people than most other sectors. UNWTO reports have disclosed that nearly half, i.e. 47% of the people working in tourism in European countries are between 15 and 34 years of age compared to one-third, i.e. 32% of the workers in the economy as a whole. Further, women account for 60% of employment in the tourism sector in the said countries as against 43% in the entire economy. It has also been found that women play a leading role in tourism entrepreneurship and that the global rate of 36% women entrepreneurs in hotels and restaurants is comparatively higher than in all sectors combined which stands at 22%.
There is, however, a need to continuously address the mismatch between available educational facilities and skills/knowledge needs of the tourism industry. Globalization and technological progress having redefined the tourism sector and how it functions, low levels of awareness about the new technologies and trends also need to be tackled by investing in the new technologies and training for jobs needed for the present and the future. Again taking the example of the tourism and hospitality industry in Jammu, the present Food Craft Institute, Jammu needs to be up graded to a full fledged Hotel Management Institute to run three year diploma courses in Hotel Management to train professional managers to meet the extreme shortage in the requirement of the hospitality sector in this regard.
Intensive short-term training programs also need be organized to train manpower in various Hotel and Travel Trades including Tourist Guides, Adventure Sports and Rescue Operations to meet the immediate requirements of Jammu’s tourism industry where, again, availability of trained personnel is extremely minimal.
In the current scenario, therefore, given the contribution of the tourism sector to the economy and in providing employment, including amongst rural communities in remote areas, new policies are required to maximize the potential of the sector to create more and better jobs, especially for women and youth, and to bring together educational institutions, the private sector and technology partners to review educational programs to create the right skill set, including soft skills, for future work opportunities.
(feedback: ajaykhajuria1955@gmail.com)
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