Booking.com research reveals widening gap between future skills ambitions and current training priorities in Europe's hospitality sector
At a glance
- 82% of accommodation employers recognise digital skills as critical for the future, yet only 16% prioritise training today.
- 87% expect sustainability skills to grow in importance, but just 11% currently prioritise related training programmes.
- 75% of employees report strong digital literacy confidence, yet 36% cite skill gaps as barriers to career progression.
- 88% of employees would join online training if available; 50% of employers would support it if low-cost, high-quality and local-language.
What the report covers
Booking.com surveyed approximately 5,000 European accommodation professionals (employers and employees) and conducted 194 in-depth interviews with industry and labour market experts across nine European countries between June and October 2025. The research examines the disconnect between skills that employers consider critical for future competitiveness and the training priorities they actually implement today, covering digital literacy, technology use, sustainability, soft skills and revenue management.
Key findings
Employer perception of future skills needs significantly outpaces current training investment. Whilst 82% of accommodation employers say digital literacy will be critical, only 16% prioritise digital training today. The gap widens further for sustainability: 87% expect environmental management skills to become important, yet merely 11% prioritise this training now. Similar patterns hold for sales, marketing and revenue capabilities (78% view as critical; 9% prioritise).
Soft skills present a paradox between stated priorities and actual needs. Only 12% of employers identify customer service as their greatest training need, yet when asked to improve one area, it ranks highest. Industry experts consistently emphasise communication, adaptability and teamwork as critical shortcomings. This suggests employers focus on immediate service gaps rather than acknowledging deeper soft skill deficits.
Employee confidence levels may mask genuine capability gaps. Three-quarters (75%) of employees feel they possess strong digital literacy, with similarly positive self-assessments across hotel systems (69%), data-driven decisions (67%), sales and marketing (66%), and revenue management (64%). However, 36% cite skill gaps as barriers to desired career progression, despite 83% aspiring to leadership roles, indicating potential overconfidence.
Structural barriers and limited frameworks hinder upskilling delivery. High costs, difficulty integrating training with business demands, and staff turnover (cited by 42% of accommodations) obstruct formal development programmes. Yet encouraging signals emerge: 50% of employers would support online training if low-cost, high-quality and available in local languages, and would dedicate 4.6 hours weekly per employee. Employees equally show appetite: 88% would likely join online training and commit 3 hours weekly.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Employers who say digital skills are critical for the future | 82% |
| Employers who currently prioritise digital skills training | 16% |
| Employers who expect sustainability skills to grow in importance | 87% |
| Employers who prioritise sustainability training today | 11% |
| Employees who feel they have strong digital literacy | 75% |
| Employees who cite lack of skills as barrier to career progression | 36% |
| Employees who would likely join online training if available | 88% |
| Accommodations where staff turnover hinders training delivery | 42% |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
Destination competitiveness depends on skilled hospitality workforces. This research reveals that European accommodation providers are unprepared for digital and sustainability transitions their own leadership acknowledges as essential. DMOs must partner with operators to drive structured upskilling, particularly in digital transformation, to maintain destination appeal and workforce retention.
Hotels & hospitality
The skills gap threatens future operational efficiency and guest experience. Employers recognise digital and sustainability priorities but lack structured pathways to address them at scale. The research signals that cost-effective, locally relevant online training with protected time allocation could unlock employee participation (88% ready to engage), offering a scalable alternative to current barriers.
Travel tech & distribution
Booking platforms and distribution partners can bridge the training gap by developing or curating accessible, low-cost digital upskilling content tailored to independent accommodations. The demand signals are clear: 50% of employers and 88% of employees would engage with appropriate training, creating opportunity for tech providers to support ecosystem capability development.
Methodology and limits
The research combines quantitative and qualitative methods: 4,110 executive managers across EU and Switzerland surveyed by telephone (June–August 2025); 798 accommodation employees in Spain, Italy, France and Germany surveyed online (June–August 2025); 194 in-depth interviews with industry and labour market experts across nine European countries (June–October 2025). Figures represent observed survey responses and stated self-assessments, not performance measurements. This brief is based on the publicly available summary; full methodology and detailed findings are accessible via Statista.
Official source
The report is © Booking.com. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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