With sluggish economic growth and burgeoning unemployment on its hands, the government is looking at the tourism sector for a bail-out. The tourism ministry has set an ambitious target of creating 24.9 million jobs during the 12th Five Year Plan to increase the sector's growth from 9% to 12%. 

Across the world, the tourism industry is one of the largest generators of employment. In India, the travel and tourism sector is estimated to create 78 jobs per million rupees of investment as compared to 45 jobs per million rupees in the manufacturing sector as per a report in TOI by Himanshi Dhawan.

"We want to create tourism as a poverty elimination sector. It must benefit the aam admi. We plan to create employment generation opportunities for low and semi-skilled workers," Subodh Kant Sahai, tourism minister, said. 

The world travel and tourism industry accounts for $7,340 billion of global economic activity, and this is tipped to grow to $14,382 by 2019. It also accounts for approximately 7.6% of global employment. In India, tourism accounts for 8% of total employment. 

The Planning Commission estimates that the sector can provide employment to a wide spectrum of jobseekers from the unskilled to the specialized even in remote areas of the country. Compared to other modern sectors, a higher proportion of tourism benefits (jobs, petty trade opportunities) accrue to women.