British travel professionals at bottom of industry Happiness Index
British travel professionals feel less valued in their jobs than their counterparts elsewhere in the world, according to new research.
Results of the Happiness Index study, conducted by global travel and hospitality recruitment leader Progressive Personnel, showed only travel professionals in Australia felt as under-valued and as little respected as Brits.
In addition, British travel professionals are less capable of learning new skills than travel professionals anywhere else.
North Americans are the world’s happiest, most satisfied and motivated travel professionals, and enjoy the best work balance and remuneration among their global counterparts, according to the research. North Americans are also more likely to stay working in travel.
The Happiness Index study was launched in May with the aim of assessing the general satisfaction of international travel and hospitality staff in the workplace.
The survey is the first of its kind in the global hospitality and travel environment to probe three areas: happiness at work, work/life balance and future prospects.
General Manager James Roberts said the aim was to see how motivated staff felt at work, whether they were being remunerated adequately, and whether they felt respected and valued in their job.
"We also looked at how stressful they believed their job to be, how often they worked outside contracted hours and what their prospects were for promotion, growth and development, not to mention whether they would recommend working in travel and hospitality," he said.
The survey found male travel professionals are happier than their female counterparts, baby boomers are the happiest generation of travel professionals, and Australian travel professionals believe themselves to be the least fairly remunerated travel professionals globally.
Travel professionals in the Middle East believe there to be fewer equal opportunities in the workplace compared with the global average, South African travel professionals perceive their jobs to be the most stressful, while Australian travel professionals work more overtime than their global counterparts.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026