Hiring activity saw a 5 per cent decline in January, while sequentially it was up 3 per cent, a report said on Monday. The sequential increase was largely due to an improvement in demand for skilled talent in the tourism, telecom, and Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) industries, foundit Insights Tracker said in the report. The hiring activity was down 5 per cent in January compared to the same month last year, it said. "...we could trace the steady growth of the tourism industry, which aligns with global trends and the government's interests," Sekhar Garisa, CEO, foundit (previously Monster APAC and ME), a Quess company, said. He said the Budget's focus on developing iconic tourist destinations and promoting spiritual tourism aligns with the increasing demand for unique and immersive travel experiences. "This forward-thinking approach aligns perfectly with the evolving trends we observed at foundit, where the travel and tourism sector has seen an impressive 21 per