THE EMPLOYMENT ASPECT OF TOURISM SECTOR IN INDIA AND ITS LONG RUN DYNAMICS: AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This study examines the long-term employment dynamics of Indias tourism sector by analysing trends of employment and its relationship with tourism growth. Using secondary data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and India Tourism Statistics, the study uses trend analysis to identify the best-fitting employment trend curve among linear, quadratic or exponential based on R-squared values. The quadratic trend curve provided the best fit, indicating a period of sustained expansion before contraction. Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron unit root tests were used to assess stationarity before applying the Johansen co-integration test to determine the long-term relationship between tourism expansion and employment generation. The findings establish the existence of a long-term equilibrium relationship between tourism growth and employment generation inIndia.However, challenges such as economic fluctuations,global pandemic and the need for sustainable policies necessitate strategic policy interventions for long-term sustainability.