A new study, entitled A Global Evaluation of the Drinks Hospitality Industry, gathers responses from over 700 participants across more than 50 geographies to uncover employees’ perceptions of their roles and challenges, and how employers can better support them. While team members remain deeply passionate about their careers, many feel let down by a lack of investment in their wellbeing, professional development, and safety.
Two-thirds (66%) of employees say they want to stay in the industry long term, with many discovering a sense of belonging and purpose after entering hospitality by chance. This reinforces the sector’s unique ability to foster passion—but also highlights the need for operators to create environments where that passion can thrive sustainably.
Training and Development: A Missed Opportunity
Training and development are critical to long-term career satisfaction, particularly for employees in the 4–10 year experience window. This window is a critical period where employees are most likely to consider leaving – many report inadequate support, which undermines confidence, performance, and progression.
Employees would most like access to leadership and management skills (51%) and career development and personal growth training (45%). When training is too basic or inconsistent, it fuels dissatisfaction and increases the risk of attrition. In fact, 42% of those considering leaving the industry cite inadequate training as a major factor.
Mental Health: A Growing Concern
The report also highlights significant concerns around mental health. While 85% of respondents say mental health support is important, only 40% feel they receive enough from their employers. Nearly half of those experiencing mental health challenges feel unsupported at work, and many are reluctant to speak up—fearing they won’t be taken seriously.
Top drivers of poor mental health in the sector include:
- Stress and burnout (62%)
- Poor work-life balance (41%)
- Ineffective leadership (32%)
- Lack of recognition (30%) and high workloads (29%)
The most passionate of hospitality workers are at risk of burning out without meaningful wellbeing infrastructure.
Safety and Equity: Still Falling Short
Workplace safety and equity also emerged as key concerns:
- 30% of respondents have felt unsafe at work due to harassment or similar issues.
- Of those who reported incidents, 73% said the matter was never resolved.
- Only 40% of workplaces consistently follow correct emergency reporting procedures.
- 1 in 3 women feel they’ve faced career limitations due to workplace discrimination.
Addressing gaps in safety and fairness will help hospitality to retain its workforce and foster a truly inclusive environment.
Lou Finn, CGA by NIQ’s Senior Consumer Research Executive said, “We’re passionate about providing insights to drive positive change. And the results of our study show that there is a real opportunity and need to do so. The study demonstrates massive potential for hospitality to be an industry where people are enriched but we will continue to lose talented people who want to stay if we don’t address workforce barriers. Operators who lean into these findings, understand the issues, and act on them will be best placed to lead the industry forward and build businesses where energy, loyalty, and success can truly flourish.”
Celebrate Her is calling on suppliers, operators, and industry leaders to treat the report as a roadmap for improvement. “While Celebrate Her is about supporting women, this survey allows us to gain invaluable insights into the wider workforce – data we can now use to influence better policies, working practices, and attitudes across the board.” said Anna Sebastian, founder of Celebrate Her and Anna Sebastian Hospitality.
Andrew Lewis, Chief Executive Officer Allara Global said, “This report makes it clear: the hospitality industry has a choice. We can either lose our most passionate people, or we can listen and act. We believe education is the foundation for that action. It’s how we bridge the gap between passion and progression, creating the supportive leaders, inclusive cultures and safe workplaces that are essential for a thriving industry.”
‘A global evaluation of the drinks hospitality industry’ explores why people enter—and leave—the sector, and the persistent challenges they face across gender, ethnicity, age, and background. Click here to download the latest report in full or contact the CGA by NIQ team to learn more.
Conducted by CGA by NIQ in collaboration with Celebrate Her, ‘A global evaluation of the drinks hospitality industry’ collected responses from 743 hospitality industry employees across 55 different countries between February and April 2025. Employees qualified to participate if they were over 18 years of age and currently work in the hospitality industry or have done so within the past 6 months.
