Mental Health Awareness Month highlights a reality that resonates strongly across tourism and hospitality: the wellbeing of the people behind hotels, tours and travel experiences directly shapes how they work, support one another and care for guests every day. 

Hospitality is consistently identified as one of the sectors most exposed to mental health challenges. Research by the University of Cambridge and University College London places it among the industries with the highest prevalence of common conditions. Industry data reinforces this: according to Hospitality Action’s Taking the Temperature 2025 survey, three out of four hospitality professionals have experienced mental health challenges during their adult life. 

In tourism, these challenges are closely linked to how work is organised. Hotels, tour operators and travel suppliers rely on diverse roles — from frontline teams and housekeeping to guides and customer service agents — often working long shifts, across peak seasons and under constant guest-facing pressure. As a result, mental wellbeing becomes a daily operational reality. 

As awareness continues to grow, the focus for many organisations is shifting from why mental health matters to how they can support their teams in practical, day‑to‑day ways. 

Mental wellbeing in tourism: 

from shared challenges to practical action 

Recent industry insights show increasing pressure across the sector. Staffing shortages, high workloads and difficulties maintaining work/life balance are shaping everyday work, particularly in frontline roles. 

According to Taking the Temperature 2025, under-resourcing and understaffing remain the main source of stress, followed by high expectations and work/life balance challenges. At the same time, rising living costs are adding further strain for employees, while organisations face growing operating pressures. 

For many people working in tourism and hospitality, sustained pressure is no longer occasional but ongoing. Irregular schedules, peak demand 

and constant guest interaction make it harder to switch off and recover properly. Industry data reflects this reality. Around four in ten hospitality 

professionals report struggling to maintain a good work/life balance, and nearly half say burnout is increasingly viewed as “part of the job”, 

particularly in operational and early‑career roles. Over time, this normalisation affects not only individual wellbeing, but also motivation, team 

dynamics and service quality — all critical in a sector built on human connection.  

There are signs of progress across the tourism and hospitality sector. Recent industry insights suggest that around two thirds of employees feel their workplace allows open discussion about mental health, indicating that stigma is gradually decreasing within teams.

However, this openness does not always translate into confidence. A similar proportion of hospitality professionals remain concerned that speaking up about mental health could negatively affect their career or job security. This persistent gap between conversation and trust highlights an important challenge for tourism organisations. 

Psychological safety, therefore, goes beyond encouraging dialogue. It is built when employees consistently see that concerns are treated confidentially, handled fairly and followed by meaningful, visible action — particularly in high‑pressure, people‑facing environments. 

Hospitality professionals are clear about what would make the biggest difference: 

• Better management training to support employees (55%)
• Clear policies addressing mental health, bullying and life‑stage support (45%)
• Confidentiality and job security when issues are raised (44%)
• Access to Employee Assistance Programmes offering confidential advice and counselling (40%)
• Regular conversations with managers (36%) and more flexible shifts (32%)

Turning awareness into action requires embedding wellbeing into everyday ways of working. At HBX Group, this is approached through a set of practical initiatives designed to address pressure points identified across the tourism and hospitality sector. 

• Designing work with wellbeing in mind: HBX Group promotes hybrid and flexible working models for eligible roles, supported by workload monitoring and policies such as Work from Anywhere. These initiatives aim to increase flexibility and autonomy while helping teams manage pressure more sustainably.

• Supporting people‑centred leadership: Managers play a key role in how teams experience pressure. HBX Group invests in leadership development through the Aspire Leadership Framework and continuous learning via theUni, including Aspire Future Leaders and the Aspire Leadership Programme. These programmes focus on trust, fairness and psychological safety, complemented by dedicated mental health training for managers delivered by external specialists.

• Strengthening employee voice and participation: Employee involvement is supported through continuous listening tools such as Your Voice and Workday Peakon, alongside open dialogue channels including Workvivo and All‑Employee Townhalls. Structured participation is further encouraged through Culture Guides, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Inclusion Roundtables, helping teams feel heard and involved.

• Promoting fairness and recognition: Fairness and appreciation are addressed through a global pay philosophy based on equity and transparency, alongside peer‑to‑peer recognition initiatives, Recognition Champions, Global Thank You Thursday and group‑wide awards.

• Providing targeted wellbeing support: Individual wellbeing support is integrated through HBX Group’s Wellbeing Strategy and the WorkWell programme, which includes wellbeing training, health resources, guidance on digital disconnection and flexible reintegration. These initiatives are designed to complement everyday working practices and leadership behaviours. 

As Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us, real progress comes from embedding wellbeing into how organisations are designed, led and experienced every day, building healthier, more resilient teams across the tourism ecosystem.