Hiring in Travel Just Got Tougher

The travel recruitment market is evolving, and hiring managers are facing a noticeable shift in both candidate behaviour and hiring outcomes.

Across the travel sector, there is a clear hesitancy among candidates to actively explore new opportunities. Following a period where a number of travel businesses have implemented redundancies or restructuring programmes, many professionals are prioritising stability over change, especially if they have been with their current employer for a number of years. Even individuals who may previously have been open to new roles are now taking a more cautious approach to entering the market.

This has led to a tightening of the talent pool. There are fewer candidates available, particularly those with strong sales, marketing, product, and operational experience within travel. As a result, competition for top talent has intensified, and roles are often taking longer to fill.

For those candidates who are engaging in recruitment processes, another trend is becoming increasingly prominent: counter offers. Travel businesses are working hard to retain experienced employees, recognising both the cost and disruption associated with replacing specialist skill sets. When valued team members resign, employers are responding quickly with improved salaries and benefits, flexible working schemes, revised responsibilities, or suggested progression pathways in order to keep them.

This combination of reduced candidate movement and an increase in counter offers is creating a more complex hiring landscape. Securing a candidate through to acceptance is no longer guaranteed, and offers that might have secured a hire previously are now more likely to be challenged.

For hiring managers within the travel industry, this means adapting approach and expectations:

• Processes need to move quickly and efficiently to maintain candidate interest
• Offers should be competitive and reflect current market conditions from the outset
• Career progression, stability, and company direction should be clearly communicated
• Engagement throughout the process is key to building trust and reducing the risk of drop-off

In the current climate, a proactive and well-structured hiring strategy is essential. Understanding an applicants motivations for changing roles is now more important then ever, and anticipating counter offers will be critical to successfully attracting and securing individuals in key travel roles.