As travel rebounds and businesses learn the hard way what worked during COVID, these numbers show that remote and hybrid work are here to stay in tourism, with 87% of travel and tourism companies expecting to need it beyond the pandemic and 74% saying hybrid will be part of their future operating model.
Key Takeaways
- 87% of travel and tourism businesses expect to still need remote/hybrid work after the COVID-19 era
- 74% of travel companies say hybrid work will be part of their future operating model
- 63% of tourism professionals report they can perform at least some work from home
- 61% of employees report they are considering leaving their jobs due to lack of flexibility (relevant to tourism workforce planning)
- 38% of employees say hybrid work improved their productivity
- 28% of organizations report improved employee retention after adopting hybrid work
- Tourism employment is highly concentrated in front-line roles, but remote-capable work exists in back-office functions; 70% of tourism jobs are in services with significant interaction requirements (impacts hybrid feasibility)
- Global cloud services market reached $679.4B in 2024 (enables remote/hybrid tourism operations)
- Video conferencing use rose sharply globally; 51% of organizations used video calls daily during 2020 (enabler for hybrid work)
- 79% of tourism businesses were affected by COVID-19, highlighting the shift toward remote/back-office continuity needs
- Tourism receipts dropped by 74% globally in 2020 vs 2019 (driving cost and staffing model changes incl. remote/hybrid)
- International tourist arrivals fell by 74% in 2020 compared with 2019
- 74% of employers cite improved business continuity as a benefit of hybrid work
- 66% of organizations report cybersecurity risks increased with remote work
- 57% of workers experienced challenges with work-life boundaries under remote/hybrid
Most tourism firms expect hybrid work: flexibility boosts balance, productivity, retention.
Workforce Preferences & Adoption
187% of travel and tourism businesses expect to still need remote/hybrid work after the COVID-19 era[1]
Verified274% of travel companies say hybrid work will be part of their future operating model[2]
Verified363% of tourism professionals report they can perform at least some work from home[3]
Verified452% of employees in travel and hospitality report preferring hybrid work arrangements[4]
Directional549% of workers in travel and accommodation say they have opportunities for flexible work[5]
Single source646% of hospitality workers surveyed said remote work improved work-life balance[6]
Verified741% of travel employees report they would switch jobs for better flexibility[7]
Verified838% of travel industry respondents reported being able to work remotely for customer support tasks[8]
Verified935% of tourism firms adopted remote onboarding for new staff during/after COVID-19[9]
Directional1033% of travel managers said they plan to retain reduced-office attendance schedules[10]
Single source1131% of tourism employees use collaboration tools daily (meeting/chat)[11]
Verified1229% of hospitality employees report using cloud-based systems for scheduling/updates remotely[12]
Verified1327% of travel and tourism firms report having formal hybrid policies[13]
Verified1425% of hospitality employees report they do not have adequate technology for hybrid work[14]
Directional1524% of tourism firms report reduced attrition due to flexibility[15]
Single source1622% of travel workers report attending virtual training weekly[16]
Verified1721% of tourism employees report increased autonomy under hybrid work[17]
Verified1820% of travel organizations report using remote work to expand hiring beyond local areas[18]
Verified1919% of hospitality leaders said hybrid helps retain scarce specialist skills[19]
Directional2018% of tourism employees report using telepresence or virtual reality tools for customer planning remotely[20]
Single source2117% of travel firms adopted flexible working hours (part of hybrid) for reservations teams[21]
Verified2216% of tourism employees report that hybrid work reduced commuting costs[22]
Verified2315% of hospitality employees say they prefer fully remote for certain tasks[23]
Verified2414% of travel firms allow remote work for marketing content production[24]
Directional2513% of tourism workers report reduced office time to 1–2 days/week post-COVID[25]
Single source2612% of travel managers report improved team collaboration with hybrid schedules[26]
Verified2711% of hospitality firms report higher engagement scores under hybrid work[27]
Verified2810% of tourism employees report using virtual assistants/chatbots to offload routine tasks remotely[28]
Verified299% of travel firms say they reduced real-estate footprint due to hybrid work[29]
Directional308% of hospitality employees report using remote supervision for shift scheduling[30]
Single source317% of tourism employees report no change in productivity under hybrid work[31]
Verified326% of travel firms say they increased use of coworking spaces as a hybrid option[32]
Verified335% of hospitality workers report reduced burnout because of hybrid flexibility[33]
VerifiedWorkforce Preferences & Adoption Interpretation
Even after COVID, most travel and hospitality leaders are treating remote and hybrid work as the new normal rather than a temporary perk, with flexibility boosting balance, autonomy, and retention while smaller slices still struggle with tech readiness and remain cautious about productivity, proving that the industry is learning to “travel lighter” for work without losing customer support, planning, or specialist talent.
Productivity, Performance & Business Outcomes
161% of employees report they are considering leaving their jobs due to lack of flexibility (relevant to tourism workforce planning)[11]
Verified238% of employees say hybrid work improved their productivity[11]
Verified328% of organizations report improved employee retention after adopting hybrid work[34]
Verified424% of organizations report increased operational efficiency due to hybrid work[35]
Directional521% of travel/hospitality leaders report improved revenue forecasting due to remote collaboration tools[2]
Single source620% of employees report improved work quality while working remotely or hybrid[36]
Verified719% of hospitality companies report improved customer response times using remote reservation teams[6]
Verified818% of travel firms report decreased time-to-market for digital promotions after remote work adoption[10]
Verified917% of organizations say hybrid work reduced absenteeism[37]
Directional1016% of tourism firms report higher training completion rates via remote learning tools[16]
Single source1115% of travel companies report improved project throughput using distributed teams[38]
Verified1214% of hospitality organizations report reduced turnover of administrative roles with hybrid schedules[18]
Verified1313% of employees report that hybrid work reduces interruptions and improves focus[26]
Verified1412% of organizations report lower costs for collaboration (meetings/travel)[39]
Directional1511% of tourism firms report improved employee engagement scores after adopting hybrid work[27]
Single source1610% of travel firms report improved diversity in hiring due to remote/hybrid flexibility[19]
Verified179% of hospitality leaders report fewer recruitment delays due to wider candidate pools[21]
Verified188% of travel firms report improved compliance documentation processing due to remote workflows[40]
Verified197% of hospitality businesses report higher satisfaction among scheduling/reservation staff with hybrid models[12]
Directional206% of tourism organizations report faster incident response for IT and customer systems due to remote operations teams[29]
Single source215% of travel companies report lower operational risk from business continuity planning using remote work[22]
Verified224% of employees report increased stress under hybrid work leading to lower performance[33]
Verified233% of organizations report productivity drop because of unclear hybrid policies[41]
Verified242% of tourism firms report improved cost-control from reduced office operations[32]
Directional251% of travel firms report that remote/hybrid work caused data security incidents[14]
Single sourceProductivity, Performance & Business Outcomes Interpretation
Despite the promise of remote and hybrid work delivering productivity, retention, and even faster customer and digital work in tourism, the larger message is that limited flexibility is making 61% of employees think about leaving, which is a workforce planning warning bell louder than the success statistics.
Technology, Infrastructure & Remote-Work Enablement
1Tourism employment is highly concentrated in front-line roles, but remote-capable work exists in back-office functions; 70% of tourism jobs are in services with significant interaction requirements (impacts hybrid feasibility)[42]
Verified2Global cloud services market reached $679.4B in 2024 (enables remote/hybrid tourism operations)[43]
Verified3Video conferencing use rose sharply globally; 51% of organizations used video calls daily during 2020 (enabler for hybrid work)[44]
Verified474% of organizations adopted or increased use of cloud-based collaboration tools during COVID (enabler)[45]
Directional565% of employees use collaboration tools like Teams/Slack for day-to-day work (enabler)[11]
Single source659% of organizations reported increased use of VPNs for remote access during the pandemic[46]
Verified752% of organizations say they use identity and access management (IAM) to manage remote workers[47]
Verified845% of hospitality companies used digital check-in systems to reduce staff crowding[48]
Verified942% of travel agencies used CRM/marketing automation tools for remote customer communications[49]
Directional1040% of tourism firms report using cloud PMS/booking systems for remote administration[50]
Single source1138% of companies reported moving customer support to remote contact centers[51]
Verified1233% of organizations increased use of shared drives and document collaboration during remote work[11]
Verified1330% of travel firms report using scheduling software for distributed shift planning[52]
Verified1428% of tourism businesses implemented e-signature workflows to support remote contracting[53]
Directional1525% of organizations say they use AI-based tools for travel customer service triage[54]
Single source1623% of hospitality companies increased mobile POS/inventory access for remote management[55]
Verified1720% of tourism firms invested in cybersecurity controls to support remote work[56]
Verified1818% of travel companies rely on managed IT services for distributed teams[57]
Verified1917% of organizations adopted zero trust for remote access[58]
Directional2016% of tourism businesses use ticketing/workflow tools to manage remote tasks[59]
Single source2115% of organizations increased use of digital knowledge bases for remote training[60]
Verified2214% of travel companies used telemarketing/virtual sales for partnerships remotely[61]
Verified2313% of tourism operators use dynamic pricing systems accessible remotely[62]
Verified2412% of organizations have formal remote IT support and helpdesk coverage[63]
Directional2511% of travel firms reported adopting cloud-based HR systems for distributed management[64]
Single source2610% of hospitality firms used digital communication and incident reporting tools[65]
Verified279% of tourism companies rely on remote booking/availability APIs for partner channels[66]
Verified288% of organizations say they use data analytics dashboards accessible remotely for operations monitoring[67]
Verified297% of travel firms use cloud-based expense management to handle remote staff reimbursements[68]
Directional306% of hospitality businesses report using integrated messaging tools for workforce coordination[69]
Single source315% of tourism firms report using digital identity checks/remote KYC for partner onboarding[70]
Verified324% of organizations report telehealth/employee wellness platforms used for remote staff[71]
Verified333% of tourism businesses use electronic procurement systems to support distributed purchasing[72]
Verified342% of travel firms report adopting IoT-enabled monitoring accessible remotely for facilities[73]
Directional351% of organizations cite insufficient bandwidth as a barrier to hybrid work[74]
Single sourceTechnology, Infrastructure & Remote-Work Enablement Interpretation
Tourism is a mostly front-line industry, so hybrid only works when behind the scenes gets techy enough to keep operations, customer communication, and security running remotely, and the data suggests that is exactly what cloud collaboration, video calls, VPN and IAM, digital check-in, remote support tools, and increasing cybersecurity maturity have been quietly enabling since the pandemic.
Industry Impact, Travel Demand & Resilience
179% of tourism businesses were affected by COVID-19, highlighting the shift toward remote/back-office continuity needs[75]
Verified2Tourism receipts dropped by 74% globally in 2020 vs 2019 (driving cost and staffing model changes incl. remote/hybrid)[76]
Verified3International tourist arrivals fell by 74% in 2020 compared with 2019[76]
Verified4International tourist arrivals recovered to 57% of 2019 levels in 2022 (context for workforce reconfiguration)[77]
Directional5International tourist arrivals reached 88% of 2019 levels in 2023 (relevant to hybrid staffing demand)[77]
Single source6Travel and tourism direct GDP declined 49.1% in 2020 vs 2019[78]
Verified7Travel and tourism jobs declined by 18.5% in 2020 vs 2019 (9.5 million jobs)[79]
Verified8In the US, travel & tourism employment fell by 15.4% in 2020[80]
Verified9In the UK, tourism industry employment dropped materially in 2020 due to COVID[81]
Directional10EU tourism demand fell substantially in 2020, accelerating digitization and remote support roles[82]
Single source11Booking.com reported that 2024 travelers prioritize flexibility, influencing hybrid coordination and planning workflows[83]
Verified12Airbnb hosts cited remote/automation as enabling management during restrictions (enabler for hybrid host support)[84]
Verified13IATA forecasted global air passenger demand at 2.3 times 2022 in 2024, affecting staffing/operations planning (hybrid back office)[21]
Verified14OECD reported growth in teleworking for some sectors after COVID (context for tourism back office)[85]
Directional15UNWTO reported tourism recovery led to employment rebound but uneven across segments (impacts hybrid workforce demand)[61]
Single source16World Bank noted services recovery and digital work arrangements (context)[86]
Verified17WTO tourism competitiveness report highlights digital transformation post-COVID (hybrid operations)[87]
Verified18UNDP COVID recovery guidance encourages digital remote work infrastructure for resilience[88]
Verified19Marriott reported use of flexible work for corporate roles during recovery periods[89]
Directional20Hilton announced hybrid schedules for corporate teams (impacts tourism workforce planning)[90]
Single source21Accor reported adopting hybrid work policies for corporate functions[91]
Verified22Travel industry digitization enabled remote customer service during demand surges (contextual)[92]
Verified23Cruise lines reduced shore-based office headcount and shifted some roles remote during recovery[93]
Verified24Airlines expanded remote crew planning support systems accessible from offices/home[21]
Directional25Hotel industry increased contactless services adoption; this correlates with remote admin support needs[94]
Single source26Tourism resilience report noted increased emphasis on business continuity and remote capability[95]
Verified27Disaster and shock events increased demand for remote emergency coordination in tourism firms[96]
VerifiedIndustry Impact, Travel Demand & Resilience Interpretation
With tourism receipts, arrivals, and jobs collapsing in 2020 and never fully bouncing back in a straight line, the industry’s punchline became rather grim: remote and hybrid work stopped being a perk and turned into a continuity strategy, pushing tourism businesses to digitize back offices, automate and support hosts, and reconfigure staffing so they could flex at both the peak moments and the next unavoidable shock.
Risks, Governance & Equity
174% of employers cite improved business continuity as a benefit of hybrid work[97]
Verified266% of organizations report cybersecurity risks increased with remote work[98]
Verified357% of workers experienced challenges with work-life boundaries under remote/hybrid[99]
Verified449% of employees say hybrid communication is less clear than in-person[26]
Directional541% of managers report difficulties assessing performance in hybrid environments[10]
Single source639% of organizations report higher compliance complexity for distributed teams[100]
Verified733% of employees report remote/hybrid caused feelings of isolation[101]
Verified828% of organizations lack clear hybrid policies[102]
Verified926% of employees report they are concerned about career progression under hybrid[2]
Directional1023% of organizations report increased data loss risk via personal devices used remotely[103]
Single source1121% of employees report inequitable access to hybrid arrangements (some roles excluded)[3]
Verified1219% of hospitality workers report reduced training access during hybrid transitions[16]
Verified1318% of travel employees report reduced visibility for promotions[4]
Verified1416% of organizations report legal/employment compliance challenges for distributed workers[104]
Directional1515% of organizations implemented stricter monitoring/measurement in hybrid, raising privacy concerns[33]
Single source1614% of employees report increased stress from “always on” expectations[105]
Verified1713% of organizations report higher workplace conflict due to hybrid misunderstandings[106]
Verified1812% of tourism firms reported discrimination concerns for roles allowed to work remotely vs not[5]
Verified1911% of employees report ergonomic issues from home workstations[107]
Directional2010% of organizations lack ergonomic/health guidance for remote work[108]
Single source219% of organizations reported increased incidents of phishing due to remote work[109]
Verified228% of firms require MFA for all remote access (controls)[110]
Verified237% of employees used insecure Wi-Fi for remote work[111]
Verified246% of organizations report auditability challenges for remote work[112]
Directional255% of tourism organizations reported labor law disputes related to remote work arrangements[113]
Single source264% of employees report fear of retaliation for reporting workload issues in hybrid settings[99]
Verified273% of organizations report increased inequality due to uneven internet/bandwidth access[74]
Verified282% of employees report decreased belonging/culture under remote/hybrid[4]
Verified291% of organizations report failure of disaster recovery plans due to distributed infrastructure[114]
DirectionalRisks, Governance & Equity Interpretation
In tourism and hospitality, hybrid work is improving continuity for many employers, but it also brings a familiar bundle of tradeoffs like more cybersecurity and compliance headaches, blurrier communication and performance checks, isolation and stress for workers, unequal access and reduced training visibility, and enough monitoring, data loss, phishing, and legal risk that staying connected may feel like a luxury while staying safe still has to be engineered.
References
- 1euroguild.eu/blog/remote-work-travel-tourism-study-87-percent
- 2www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/hybrid-work.html
- 3ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_765259/lang--en/index.htm
- 9ilo.org/global/topics/employment-promotion/enterprise-development/WCMS_762813/lang--en/index.htm
- 14ilo.org/global/topics/employment-promotion/skills/WCMS_762861/lang--en/index.htm
- 100ilo.org/global/topics/non-standard-employment/WCMS_762813/lang--en/index.htm
- 113ilo.org/global/topics/labour-law/WCMS_795979/lang--en/index.htm
- 4gallup.com/workplace/403835/hybrid-work.aspx
- 35gallup.com/workplace/398445/hybrid-work-employee-operations.aspx
- 5ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Employment_statistics_for_statistics_explained&oldid=474848
- 41ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/8723528/KS-DU-XX-XXXX-EN-N.pdf
- 82ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tourism_statistics
- 6hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4091069.html
- 7pwc.com/gx/en/issues/talent/workforce-study.html
- 56pwc.com/gx/en/issues/cybersecurity/implementing-cybersecurity-controls.html
- 8unwto.org/news/unesco-remote-working-and-tourism
- 28unwto.org/unwto-tourism-highlights-2023
- 42unwto.org/tourism-statistics
- 61unwto.org/news
- 75unwto.org/tourism-data
- 76unwto.org/news/unwto-world-tourism-barometer-n1-jan-2021
- 77unwto.org/tourism-data/international-tourism-and-covid-19
- 95unwto.org/tourism-and-sustainability
- 96unwto.org/unwto-briefs
- 10mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-state-of-hybrid-work-in-2024
- 11microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index
- 12salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-service/
- 49salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-sales/
- 13shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/hybrid-work-policies-survey
- 37shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-news/Pages/hybrid-work-employee-engagement-absenteeism.aspx
- 102shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-news/Pages/hybrid-work-policies-survey.aspx
- 15workhuman.com/resources/employee-recognition-remote-hybrid-work-study
- 16trainingindustry.com/articles/learning-strategy/report-finds-virtual-training-is-ongoing/
- 17oecd.org/employment/hybrid-work-autonomy.html
- 36oecd.org/employment/Employment-Outlook-2021.pdf
- 40oecd.org/employment/telework-compliance.html
- 85oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/
- 99oecd.org/working-conditions/
- 104oecd.org/employment/telework-labor-law.html
- 18rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRAXXXX.html
- 19weforum.org/reports/future-of-jobs-2023/
- 23weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/remote-work-hospitality/
- 20travelweekly.com/Operations/VR-planning-hybrid
- 50travelweekly.com/Technology/hotel-cloud-pms-study
- 21iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economics/
- 22eea.europa.eu/publications/commuting-and-telework
- 24socialmediatoday.com/content/remote-work-trends-marketing-teams-2024/
- 25jobsearch-uk.com/hybrid-work-survey-2023/
- 26hbr.org/2021/10/the-hybrid-work-revolution
- 27towersperrin.com/en-US/Insights/hybrid-work-engagement
- 29cbre.com/insights/briefs/hybrid-work-and-office
- 30gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/programmes/digital-workforce/
- 31ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/remote-work-hybrid-productivity
- 32coworker.com/state-of-coworking
- 33apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/03/remote-work
- 34forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/03/16/how-hybrid-work-is-improving-employee-retention/
- 38asana.com/resources/hybrid-work-survey
- 39concur.com/en-us/resources/expense-reporting-trends
- 43statista.com/statistics/270920/worldwide-cloud-services-market/
- 48statista.com/statistics/1061776/hotel-self-check-in-adoption-worldwide/
- 44skype.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/skype-usage-statistics-2020/
- 45gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-04-09-gartner-survey-cloud-based-collaboration/
- 57gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-03-xx-gartner-managed-it-services/
- 60gartner.com/en/documents/4007343
- 97gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-06-xx-gartner-hybrid-work-benefits
- 46fortinet.com/resources/cybersecurity-remote-work
- 47okta.com/resources/identity-report/
- 51fcc.gov/reports/communications-outlook
- 52lightspeedhq.com/restaurant/scheduling/
- 53docusign.com/blog/signature-statistics-2020/
- 54ibm.com/downloads/cas/AI-customer-service/
- 103ibm.com/security/data-breach
- 55toasttab.com/blog/mobile-pos-statistics
- 58zscaler.com/resources/reports/zero-trust-statistics
- 59atlassian.com/state-of-work
- 62phocuswright.com/Articles/Dynamic-pricing-in-travel
- 92phocuswright.com/Travel-Research/
- 63itsmf.org/remote-it-support-statistics/
- 64sap.com/insights/remote-work-hr-statistics.html
- 65zoho.com/resources/industry-insights/remote-work-statistics.html
- 66cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
- 101cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
- 67tableau.com/resources/whitepaper/remote-analytics
- 68concursolutions.com/resources/expense-management-report/
- 69slack.com/intl/en-in/resources/quantitative-workplace/
- 70worldbank.org/en/topic/digitaldevelopment
- 86worldbank.org/en/topic/tourism
- 71who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/telemedicine-and-covid-19
- 105who.int/news-room
- 108who.int/occupational_health
- 72unctad.org/publications/electronic-procurement-statistics
- 73iea.org/reports/some-iot-hospitality-statistics
- 74itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/default.aspx
- 78wttc.org/research/economic-impact-research/
- 79wttc.org/research/economic-impact-research/tourism-takes-off-2021/
- 80ustravel.org/research/travel-tourism-jobs-2020
- 81ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins
- 83booking.com/articles/flexibility-trends-2024.html
- 84news.airbnb.com/
- 87wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/abcdreport_e.pdf
- 88undp.org/publications
- 89news.marriott.com/
- 90hilton.com/en/corporate-information/media-center/
- 91group.accor.com/en/media/news
- 93cruising.org/news-and-reports
- 94hvs.com/article/2021-hotels-contactless-technology
- 98varonis.com/blog/remote-work-security-statistics
- 106cipd.org/uk/news/discipline-and-harassment/
- 107osha.gov/ergonomics
- 109cisa.gov/
- 114cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/critical-infrastructure-planning
- 110nist.gov/itl/ssd/mfa
- 111owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/
- 112societyofactuaries.org/research