Hospitality Skills Training: Now and in the Future

Contrary to perceptions of a disengaged workforce, nearly seven in ten hospitality employees intend to build long-term careers and over 88% express willingness to participate in online training. What holds many back is the lack of clear progression pathways and targeted development, particularly for leadership roles.

This challenge extends beyond today’s gaps to whether organisations are prioritising the skills already identified as critical for the future. The domain of sustainability, which has rapidly moved from a niche concern to a factor of differentiation in the European hospitality industry, illustrates this clearly: only 11% of employers report an immediate need for training, yet 87% expect sustainability skills to become more important for their hotel. At the same time, 65% of employees rate their skills in this area as strong. A similar pattern appears in digital capabilities. While only 16% of employers view digital literacy as a current priority, 82% consider it critical for the future. In data-driven decision-making, just 14% see a need today, despite 76% identifying it as vital going forward and only 26% of staff reporting confidence in their current capabilities.

This is an excerpt from Upskilling European Hospitality, a report produced by Statista and booking.com. This issue brief presents the findings of in-depth interviews and surveys with employers and employees in the European hotel sector and discusses how upskilling the workforce can improve European competitiveness and bring added value to the industry as a whole.

Click here to download the Upskilling European Hospitality report and other issue briefs on the European Accommodation industry.