The 2025 Europe Accommodation Barometer Highlights Rising Hiring Challenges
The 2025 European Accommodation Barometer from Booking.com and Statista reveals that approximately half (47%) of European hoteliers face significant challenges in hiring and retaining qualified staff. This growth in hiring difficulty is mirrored across different Europe regions. The fifth edition of the survey, which included 1,160 managers and executives from the European accommodation sector, underscores the growing complexities of talent acquisition in the hotel industry.
Hiring Trends Across Regions
In this report, Greece and Spain emerged as the top industries for job-hire engagement, with both regions planning to hire 8.8 and 8.3 employees in the next 12 months, respectively. Conversely, Germany and Austria reported hiring fewer personnel (1.6 and 2.4 employees, respectively), highlighting varying pragmatic hiring intentions among different European regions. Despite offering opportunities for managers, the demand for general managers and marketing staff remains high, with relatively little出手ing those positions.
employing Low-Skilled and Seasonal Roles
Low-skilled and seasonal roles, such as housekeeping, medical services, and front office positions, are the most commonly sought after, making them easier to fill. This trend is evidenced across the 2025 Europeaccommodation barometer, with availability scores of 0.6, one of the lowest recorded globally. On the other hand, managerial roles, including the general manager and marketing staff, are less sought after, with a score of 9.6.
Theskills Gap and Training Challenges
Europe’s talent Hat-triangle remains a pressing issue, particularly for small and independent properties. In fact, 17% of all independent accommodations lack training, while only 2% of touristic properties offer any training. Financial challenges, such as high salary expectations and stipulations needing a work-life balance, are also tearing at the heartstrings of hotels, with 63% of chain hotels and 70% of hoteliers in Italy reporting concerns about job stability and seasonality.
Seasonality and Cost Pressures
Seasonality and cost pressures have become increasingly common for European hoteliers, with Greece accounting for 58% and Croatia for 56%. These challenges are further compounded by increasing operational expenses, demanding that hotelshousing for a growing global audience bring in higher salaries and better attitudes.
By highlighting these trends and their implications, this report underscores the ongoing work hotels need to perform to stay competitive and retain qualified talent. Moving forward, hotels will need to address these challenges through innovative hiring strategies, reduced financial pressures, and a focus on workforce development.
