WHY TOURISM BELONGS IN THE INDIAN CLASSROOM

For more than six decades, India has recognised the importance of skilling and vocational education, yet the country continues to struggle with persistent gaps that prevent young people from becoming job-ready. Nearly 22 crore Indians today fall into the NEET category—Not in Education, Employment or Training—making this one of the most serious social challenges of our time. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2030, almost 38 per cent of the core skills required by Indian workers will have changed, signalling a shift so dramatic that our existing systems cannot cope unless education is redesigned. Even as companies increasingly hire based on skills rather than degrees, only a small fraction of India’s workforce possesses formal training. These realities underline a simple truth: employment-linked learning must become central to mainstream education. One of the most promising pathways is to systematically include tourism and hospitality in school and college curricula.

A DEMOGRAPHIC TURNING POINT

India’s demographic profile is often described as its greatest asset. With nearly two-thirds of the population below 35 and a low dependency ratio, the nation is living through a long window of demographic advantage. This window could remain open until 2055, but its benefits are not guaranteed. A young population becomes a dividend only when it is skilled, healthy and productively employed. Without these conditions, demographic advantage can transform into demographic anxiety. The lessons from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal—where unemployment among the youth fuelled unrest—offer a timely reminder of the consequences of missed opportunities. As Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev aptly remarked, “If we don’t skill India, we may as well kill India.” The warning may be stark, but the moment demands clarity.

A NATIONAL PUSH FOR SKILLS

Recognising this urgency, the Government of India created the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in 2014, driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India the “Skills Capital of the World.” The National Skill Development Mission, along with the National Skills Qualification Framework and various sector skill councils, has built a system where industry and education can collaborate in more meaningful ways. Tourism and hospitality— among the world’s largest job creators—stand to gain immensely from this structure. The sector offers opportunities across hotels, culinary arts, tour operations, guiding, events, transport, heritage conservation and destination planning. Crucially, it provides accessible entry points for youth, women and rural communities and can generate employment at scale without demanding heavy capital investments.

POLICY SUPPORT IN SCHOOLS

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has already laid a strong foundation for integrating tourism into school learning. NEP emphasises vocational exposure from Class VI onwards, ensuring that every child engages meaningfully with a vocation during their schooling years. This creates space for tourism and hospitality to be introduced as mainstream academic subjects rather than marginal electives. Responding to this policy shift, the CBSE has developed structured syllabi such as “Introduction to Tourism” for Classes IX and X, along with hospitality options at the senior secondary level. These resources are widely available, but adoption remains uneven. Some states and schools have embraced the subject wholeheartedly, while others struggle with shortages of trained teachers, lack of practical infrastructure and inconsistent industry partnerships.

CHALLENGES ON THE GROUND

The shortage of skilled instructors remains one of the biggest bottlenecks. Many schools rely on part-time vocational trainers whose contracts are unstable, leading to interruptions in teaching and hindering long-term programme growth. Infrastructure constraints pose another barrier: effective training in tourism requires kitchens, labs, field visits, and industry exposure—facilities that many government and rural schools lack. When these components are missing, vocational education becomes theoretical, reducing its relevance and discouraging students from taking it seriously. Yet where strong industry linkages exist—through hotel tie-ups, internships or hands-on projects—the outcomes have been impressive, with students securing early placements and gaining confidence about their career prospects.

HIGHER EDUCATION MOMENTUM

India’s higher education sector has also begun integrating industry-driven skills. The University Grants Commission’s push for Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP) has transformed the learning model in many colleges. A significant example is the National Initiative for Skill-Integrated Higher Education (NISHE), implemented by CRISP across states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Odisha. More than 1,400 colleges are now part of this movement, offering skill-integrated degree programmes in areas including tourism, logistics, retail, IT, healthcare and media. Tourism and travel management have emerged as strong components, giving students real pathways from classroom theory to workplace readiness.

THE CASE FOR TOURISM EDUCATION

The argument for including tourism in the national curriculum is not merely academic—it is practical, economic and social. Tourism stimulates local economies, especially in rural and semi-urban regions where conventional industries may not flourish. It strengthens cultural literacy, fosters appreciation for heritage and nurtures interpersonal skills essential in a globalised world. It is one of the few sectors where young people from modest backgrounds can find structured, dignified and upwardly mobile employment soon after finishing school. For a country positioning itself as both a global destination and a major host of international events, a skilled tourism workforce is indispensable.

A COORDINATED NATIONAL EFFORT

The road ahead demands coordination between the Centre, state governments, CBSE, UGC and the tourism industry. Schools should be encouraged to offer tourism as a regular elective subject, supported by adequate infrastructure and teacher training. Colleges must expand apprenticeship-embedded programmes that blend academic instruction with substantial real-world experience. Special attention is needed for rural and government schools, where access to vocational subjects remains limited but where tourism education could transform local job landscapes.

PREPARING GEN-Z FOR TOMORROW

India’s Gen-Z is ambitious, impatient and intensely aspirational. Traditional classroom learning without employability is no longer enough. The nation must equip young people with hands-on skills that lead directly to jobs and entrepreneurial pathways. Tourism, with its breadth, accessibility and potential for rapid job creation, offers one of the most powerful tools to bridge the gap between education and employment. If the opportunity is not seized now, the frustrations recently seen in neighbouring countries could find echoes here. But if we act decisively, tourism education can help transform India’s demographic advantage into a demographic triumph.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Dr Lalit K Panwar, IAS (Retd) (Chancellor, (Chairperson) Vivekananda University, Jaipur Special Invitee (Tourism), NITI Aayog Former Vice Chancellor, Raj State Skills University Former Secretary, Tourism, Govt of India)