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Goa HR Summit 2026 Charts New Course for Hospitality Sector

26 February 2026

Job Placement, Youth,

News reported by: Mr. Noah Rodrigues (INP JPN C)

Seeking to address the widening attitude and skill gap within Goa’s hospitality workforce, leading hoteliers and hospitality educators gathered at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Odxel, for the Goa HR Summit 2026 on February 21. Convened by the Don Bosco Job Placement Network, the summit brought together industry recruiters and academic leaders to rethink curricula, internship structures, and retention strategies in a sector central to the state’s economy.

The day opened with a clear mandate: align education with the operational realities of luxury hospitality. HR leaders and operations managers from premium properties—including Taj Cidade de Goa, The St. Regis Goa Resort, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort, Radisson Blu Resort, Fairfield by Marriott, and Heritage Village Resort & Spa—sat across the table from principals and coordinators representing institutions such as IIHM Goa, Goa College of Home Science, Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Gesto Culinary and Hospitality Academy, Guardian Angel Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Goa College of Hospitality and Culinary Education, and Don Bosco Loutolim.

A digital demonstration of the Don Bosco Jobs Portal set the tone, presenting the platform as a practical solution for sourcing local talent and reducing immediate recruitment bottlenecks. The summit then moved into its core deliberations with a panel moderated by Erlic Almeida, featuring hoteliers Valentine Athaide of Indian Hotels Company Limited and Sidhesh Bandodkar of Heritage Village Resort & Spa, alongside educators Raynold D’Souza and Dr Edgar D’Souza.

Panellists identified a persistent paradox: while Goa produces skilled graduates, long-term commitment remains weak. The gap, they argued, is less technical than attitudinal. Over-glamorised admissions marketing, coupled with the harsh realities of long hours and modest starting salaries, leads to early disillusionment and attrition—often toward cruise-line employment abroad.

Internships emerged as a flashpoint. Educators flagged exploitative practices, including minimal stipends and repetitive menial tasks. In response, progressive hoteliers advocated structured training, proper uniforms from day one, and regular performance reviews to restore dignity and value in learning.

The summit also called for a sweeping curriculum overhaul. Outdated subjects are being phased out in favour of emotional intelligence, contemporary cuisines, modern mixology, and interview-ready skills. At the same time, industry leaders acknowledged the need to reform workplace culture—offering clearer growth pathways, better benefits, and more humane schedules to retain Gen Z talent.

By confronting outdated practices on both sides, the Goa HR Summit 2026 marked a decisive step toward building a transparent, skilled, and resilient hospitality workforce for the state.