GITNUXREPORT 2025

Hr In The Tourism Industry Statistics

Tourism HR faces staffing shortages, high turnover, and increasing digital transformation.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

About 35% of tourism and hospitality staff have received formal hospitality training

Statistic 2

The average training spend per employee in tourism is approximately $1,200 annually

Statistic 3

The use of virtual reality in employee training has increased by 45% in tourism companies over the past two years, enhancing experiential learning

Statistic 4

The average salary increase for hospitality workers who receive skill training is about 12%, indicating a positive return on investment

Statistic 5

35% of tourism companies collaborate with educational institutions to develop talent pipelines, showing investment in future workforce

Statistic 6

29% of tourism businesses report that high training costs are a barrier to investing in employee development

Statistic 7

Approximately 43% of tourism businesses face difficulties in hiring qualified staff

Statistic 8

The tourism sector accounts for about 10.4% of global employment

Statistic 9

72% of tourism companies report workforce shortages as a primary challenge

Statistic 10

The average employee turnover rate in tourism and hospitality industries is approximately 28%

Statistic 11

Over 60% of HR professionals in tourism report difficulty in recruiting skilled labor

Statistic 12

65% of tourism employers plan to increase wages to attract talent

Statistic 13

54% of hospitality sector workers are women

Statistic 14

The average age of employees in tourism is 36 years old

Statistic 15

73% of HR managers in tourism consider employee retention their top priority

Statistic 16

45% of tourism companies invest in ongoing staff training and development

Statistic 17

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 32% decline in hospitality employment globally

Statistic 18

52% of tourism HR professionals cite inadequate skills among applicants as a significant barrier

Statistic 19

The average employee in tourism works approximately 38 hours per week

Statistic 20

68% of tourism employers believe that soft skills are more important than technical skills when hiring

Statistic 21

29% of tourism workers are seasonal employees

Statistic 22

The turnover rate for hotel staff is higher than the national average, at approximately 30%

Statistic 23

55% of HR leaders in tourism plan to implement more flexible working arrangements

Statistic 24

48% of tourism businesses report challenges in succession planning

Statistic 25

70% of tourists cite friendly staff as a key factor influencing their satisfaction, indicating the importance of HR quality

Statistic 26

The average length of employment in tourism is approximately 2.5 years

Statistic 27

62% of HR managers in tourism believe innovative recruitment methods are essential for finding top talent

Statistic 28

41% of tourism companies have difficulty in onboarding new employees effectively

Statistic 29

The median annual wage for hospitality jobs in 2022 was $36,000

Statistic 30

24% of tourism employees are bilingual, helping meet international customer needs

Statistic 31

50% of HR managers in tourism cite high employee attrition as their biggest challenge

Statistic 32

80% of hospitality firms offer some form of employee benefits, primarily health insurance and paid leave

Statistic 33

The percentage of tourism workers working night shifts exceeds 35%

Statistic 34

28% of HR professionals in tourism report that job insecurity affects employee morale significantly

Statistic 35

Approximately 45% of tourism businesses use digital platforms for recruitment, leading to faster hiring processes

Statistic 36

About 60% of tourism companies monitor employee satisfaction regularly

Statistic 37

Less than 20% of tourism companies actively implement diversity and inclusion programs

Statistic 38

38% of tourism HR managers see employee mental health as a growing concern, especially post-pandemic

Statistic 39

The prevalence of part-time employment in tourism and hospitality is about 40%

Statistic 40

13% of tourism businesses report having formal mentorship programs for employee development

Statistic 41

66% of tourism HR professionals believe that career progression opportunities are crucial for employee retention

Statistic 42

The use of AI-driven recruitment tools in tourism has increased by 55% over the past three years

Statistic 43

49% of tourism companies believe that better training can reduce turnover rates over the next year

Statistic 44

70% of tourism businesses report difficulty in maintaining a consistent company culture across locations

Statistic 45

Approximately 15% of tourism employees work in managerial or supervisory roles

Statistic 46

54% of tourism HR professionals prioritize sustainability training for employees

Statistic 47

36% of hospitality workers have experienced burnout, with common causes being long hours and high customer demands

Statistic 48

Staff absenteeism rates in tourism and hospitality are about 8%, often related to health and work-life balance issues

Statistic 49

45% of tourism companies plan to increase investment in employee wellness programs, aiming to improve morale and reduce turnover

Statistic 50

Approximately 22% of tourism workers have obtained vocational qualifications in hospitality or tourism management

Statistic 51

HR digital transformation in tourism increased by 60% in the last five years, primarily through adoption of HRIS platforms

Statistic 52

80% of tourism HR managers believe that automation can help streamline recruiting and onboarding

Statistic 53

About 42% of tourism businesses implement employee recognition programs to boost motivation

Statistic 54

28% of tourism employees participate in cross-training programs, increasing flexibility and skill set diversity

Statistic 55

65% of tourism companies report that their HR strategies have shifted towards more digital and remote engagement models

Statistic 56

33% of HR professionals in tourism report challenges in managing multilingual workforces, due to language barriers

Statistic 57

Nearly 50% of tourism businesses utilize social media to attract potential employees, especially younger generations

Statistic 58

40% of hospitality workers have expressed interest in career development programs, highlighting opportunities for HR initiatives

Statistic 59

Approximately 25% of tourism businesses report difficulties in retaining early-career employees, emphasizing the need for targeted HR strategies

Statistic 60

38% of tourism HR managers see employee engagement as the key to reducing turnover, mainly through improved communication and recognition

Statistic 61

54% of tourism firms plan to implement AI tools for customer service, which may also influence HR roles in the future

Statistic 62

23% of tourism organizations have formal diversity and inclusion policies, aiming to improve workplace equity

Statistic 63

70% of HR professionals in tourism consider digital competency as essential for future employee success

Statistic 64

49% of tourism companies report that flexible scheduling improves employee satisfaction, leading to increased retention

Statistic 65

About 30% of hospitality HR managers implement mental health support programs, recognizing their importance for staff well-being

Statistic 66

66% of tourism employers report challenges in adapting HR policies to meet changing legal regulations across regions

Statistic 67

The average age of tourism managers is 45 years old, indicating a need for succession planning

Statistic 68

42% of tourism HR departments use analytics tools to improve hiring and employee engagement strategies, indicating a data-driven approach

Statistic 69

The percentage of tourism staff receiving formal health and safety training is around 50%, vital for compliance and safety

Statistic 70

65% of tourism HR managers see succession planning as a critical initiative for organizational stability

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Sources

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Key Highlights

Approximately 43% of tourism businesses face difficulties in hiring qualified staff
The tourism sector accounts for about 10.4% of global employment
72% of tourism companies report workforce shortages as a primary challenge
The average employee turnover rate in tourism and hospitality industries is approximately 28%
Over 60% of HR professionals in tourism report difficulty in recruiting skilled labor
65% of tourism employers plan to increase wages to attract talent
54% of hospitality sector workers are women
The average age of employees in tourism is 36 years old
73% of HR managers in tourism consider employee retention their top priority
45% of tourism companies invest in ongoing staff training and development
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 32% decline in hospitality employment globally
52% of tourism HR professionals cite inadequate skills among applicants as a significant barrier
The average employee in tourism works approximately 38 hours per week

Navigating the bustling world of tourism, HR professionals face a staffing crisis as nearly half of tourism businesses struggle to find skilled workers and combat high turnover, highlighting the urgent need for innovative recruitment, training, and retention strategies in a rapidly evolving industry.

Educational and Skill Development

About 35% of tourism and hospitality staff have received formal hospitality training
The average training spend per employee in tourism is approximately $1,200 annually
The use of virtual reality in employee training has increased by 45% in tourism companies over the past two years, enhancing experiential learning
The average salary increase for hospitality workers who receive skill training is about 12%, indicating a positive return on investment
35% of tourism companies collaborate with educational institutions to develop talent pipelines, showing investment in future workforce
29% of tourism businesses report that high training costs are a barrier to investing in employee development

Educational and Skill Development Interpretation

While the tourism industry is investing in training and embracing virtual reality to elevate service standards—reaping salary boosts and future talent pipelines—nearly a third still grapple with prohibitive costs, highlighting the paradox between innovation and affordability.

Workforce and Human Resources

Approximately 43% of tourism businesses face difficulties in hiring qualified staff
The tourism sector accounts for about 10.4% of global employment
72% of tourism companies report workforce shortages as a primary challenge
The average employee turnover rate in tourism and hospitality industries is approximately 28%
Over 60% of HR professionals in tourism report difficulty in recruiting skilled labor
65% of tourism employers plan to increase wages to attract talent
54% of hospitality sector workers are women
The average age of employees in tourism is 36 years old
73% of HR managers in tourism consider employee retention their top priority
45% of tourism companies invest in ongoing staff training and development
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 32% decline in hospitality employment globally
52% of tourism HR professionals cite inadequate skills among applicants as a significant barrier
The average employee in tourism works approximately 38 hours per week
68% of tourism employers believe that soft skills are more important than technical skills when hiring
29% of tourism workers are seasonal employees
The turnover rate for hotel staff is higher than the national average, at approximately 30%
55% of HR leaders in tourism plan to implement more flexible working arrangements
48% of tourism businesses report challenges in succession planning
70% of tourists cite friendly staff as a key factor influencing their satisfaction, indicating the importance of HR quality
The average length of employment in tourism is approximately 2.5 years
62% of HR managers in tourism believe innovative recruitment methods are essential for finding top talent
41% of tourism companies have difficulty in onboarding new employees effectively
The median annual wage for hospitality jobs in 2022 was $36,000
24% of tourism employees are bilingual, helping meet international customer needs
50% of HR managers in tourism cite high employee attrition as their biggest challenge
80% of hospitality firms offer some form of employee benefits, primarily health insurance and paid leave
The percentage of tourism workers working night shifts exceeds 35%
28% of HR professionals in tourism report that job insecurity affects employee morale significantly
Approximately 45% of tourism businesses use digital platforms for recruitment, leading to faster hiring processes
About 60% of tourism companies monitor employee satisfaction regularly
Less than 20% of tourism companies actively implement diversity and inclusion programs
38% of tourism HR managers see employee mental health as a growing concern, especially post-pandemic
The prevalence of part-time employment in tourism and hospitality is about 40%
13% of tourism businesses report having formal mentorship programs for employee development
66% of tourism HR professionals believe that career progression opportunities are crucial for employee retention
The use of AI-driven recruitment tools in tourism has increased by 55% over the past three years
49% of tourism companies believe that better training can reduce turnover rates over the next year
70% of tourism businesses report difficulty in maintaining a consistent company culture across locations
Approximately 15% of tourism employees work in managerial or supervisory roles
54% of tourism HR professionals prioritize sustainability training for employees
36% of hospitality workers have experienced burnout, with common causes being long hours and high customer demands
Staff absenteeism rates in tourism and hospitality are about 8%, often related to health and work-life balance issues
45% of tourism companies plan to increase investment in employee wellness programs, aiming to improve morale and reduce turnover
Approximately 22% of tourism workers have obtained vocational qualifications in hospitality or tourism management
HR digital transformation in tourism increased by 60% in the last five years, primarily through adoption of HRIS platforms
80% of tourism HR managers believe that automation can help streamline recruiting and onboarding
About 42% of tourism businesses implement employee recognition programs to boost motivation
28% of tourism employees participate in cross-training programs, increasing flexibility and skill set diversity
65% of tourism companies report that their HR strategies have shifted towards more digital and remote engagement models
33% of HR professionals in tourism report challenges in managing multilingual workforces, due to language barriers
Nearly 50% of tourism businesses utilize social media to attract potential employees, especially younger generations
40% of hospitality workers have expressed interest in career development programs, highlighting opportunities for HR initiatives
Approximately 25% of tourism businesses report difficulties in retaining early-career employees, emphasizing the need for targeted HR strategies
38% of tourism HR managers see employee engagement as the key to reducing turnover, mainly through improved communication and recognition
54% of tourism firms plan to implement AI tools for customer service, which may also influence HR roles in the future
23% of tourism organizations have formal diversity and inclusion policies, aiming to improve workplace equity
70% of HR professionals in tourism consider digital competency as essential for future employee success
49% of tourism companies report that flexible scheduling improves employee satisfaction, leading to increased retention
About 30% of hospitality HR managers implement mental health support programs, recognizing their importance for staff well-being
66% of tourism employers report challenges in adapting HR policies to meet changing legal regulations across regions
The average age of tourism managers is 45 years old, indicating a need for succession planning
42% of tourism HR departments use analytics tools to improve hiring and employee engagement strategies, indicating a data-driven approach
The percentage of tourism staff receiving formal health and safety training is around 50%, vital for compliance and safety
65% of tourism HR managers see succession planning as a critical initiative for organizational stability

Workforce and Human Resources Interpretation

With tourism fueling about one-tenth of global employment but facing a persistent staff shortage, high turnover, and skill gaps—exacerbated by pandemic setbacks and rapid digitization—industry HR professionals must navigate a balancing act between attracting, retaining, and developing a workforce that is increasingly diverse, flexible, and skilled in soft skills, all while managing burnout, advancing inclusion, and embracing innovation to ensure the sector's sustainable growth.