Travel professionals around the globe demonstrate a strong long-term commitment to the industry and report high levels of career fulfilment.
Their purpose-driven mindset, fueled by a passion for travel and human connection, continues to shape the sector and helps specialists navigate the increasing complexity of the post-pandemic environment.
These are the findings of UAE-based RateHawk’s latest report, ‘What Supercharges Travel Professionals’, which explores travel professionals’ perspectives on the ever-evolving travel industry.
RateHawk, a B2B online system for booking hotels, flights, and transfers, surveyed over 1,300 professionals across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and the GCC.
The study examines agents’ key motivations, challenges, and the role of technology in the travel industry in 2025.
Travel professionals show strong loyalty to the industry, with 42 per cent of respondents having more than 15 years of experience.
This trend is especially prominent in Europe (51 per cent on average), particularly in Italy (68 per cent), Germany (64 per cent) and Spain (52 per cent).
At the same time, the industry continues to attract newcomers, with 18 per cent of respondents worldwide having joined over the last 3 years.
In some regions, this share is noticeably higher — for example, 23 per cent in North America and 25 per cent in Latin America.
Meanwhile, one in four respondents worldwide (25 per cent) has worked in the industry for 4 to 10 years, while 15 per cent have 11 to 15 years of experience.
GCC has the strongest share of professionals who joined the industry recently: one in five respondents joined within the last 3 years, while 60 per cent of respondents have worked for up to 10 years.
Only 18 per cent have worked in the field for 11 to 15 years, and 21 per cent for more than 15 years.
“Today, the travel industry continues to draw new specialists, making it one of the fastest-growing career sectors, according to global reports. Our study also showcases the growing popularity of the travel advisor profession in the last 3 years. It is driven by the transformation of the economy after the pandemic and the desire of next-gen travellers to rely on travel agents while planning their trips,” commented Astrid Kastberg, Managing Director of RateHawk.
The survey shows that 93 per cent of the participants work in small and medium businesses of up to 50 people.
Of these, 50 per cent of all travel professionals globally work in businesses of 2 to 5 people, with the highest concentration in Europe (58 per cent) and Latin America (47 per cent).
Around 17 per cent operate as independent agents, with North America reporting the largest share (22 per cent).
In contrast, solo professionals are far less common in Asia and the GCC, where medium-sized companies (6 to 50 employees) dominate, representing 44 per cent and 51 per cent respectively.
Globally, medium-sized companies account for 26 per cent of respondents. Only 7 per cent of respondents work in companies with more than 50 employees.
"Since the majority of travel businesses are relatively small, effectiveness is crucial. Success depends on every team member, which is why RateHawk develops tech-driven tools to help agents excel and deliver outstanding service with less effort,” shared Astrid Kastberg.
Job satisfaction is remarkably high in the travel industry, with an overwhelming 92 per cent of professionals describing themselves as satisfied or very satisfied in their roles.
Latin America leads with the highest satisfaction rate at 95 per cent. Only 1 per cent of respondents globally reported being dissatisfied.
According to the survey, travel professionals worldwide are most motivated by the opportunity to create memorable experiences for their clients (51 per cent), explore new destinations (42 per cent) and receive positive client feedback (39 per cent).
This reflects a human-focused approach that drives agents’ careers. One in five respondents also values the independence their travel career offers, while work-life balance (21 per cent) and financial incentives (15 per cent) are less commonly cited among the most rewarding aspects.
Travel professionals from the GCC region share the same top three satisfying elements, with exploring new destinations as the leading factor (45 per cent).
When interacting with clients, global respondents find building long-term relationships (36 per cent), receiving positive feedback (30 per cent), and helping clients find the perfect offer (26 per cent) to be the most rewarding aspects of their work.
In contrast, closing high-value sales is perceived as a much less rewarding experience, with only 8 per cent of respondents selecting this option.
To stay motivated, travel professionals choose ongoing professional and business development: 46 per cent attend travel industry events, 45 per cent set personal sales goals, 39 per cent enjoy professional networks, and 31 per cent regularly participate in webinars and educational courses.
Other motivating habits include testing new AI tools, exploring partnerships, and taking personal trips to design better itineraries for clients.
“The travel industry has always attracted passionate specialists who love exploring the world themselves and helping others create meaningful experiences. Our mission is to empower both veterans and newcomers with technology-driven solutions that streamline routine tasks and focus their energy on the parts of the job they enjoy most. This report reflects our commitment to supporting the travel professionals’ community and driving the sustainable development of the travel industry in general. We believe that by better understanding the real needs and motivations of travel professionals, stakeholders can create more relevant solutions," shares Astrid Kastberg, Managing Director of RateHawk.
The report is based on the survey held in the second quarter of 2025.
The respondents were the representatives of leisure and business travel sectors, including travel agencies, travel management companies, tour operators, host agency members and independent travel advisors. -TradeArabia News Service
