By Linda Wilkin, ABE Marketing Director.
Leisure spending is rising again, and travel, tourism and hospitality are among the fastest-growing areas. This shift is creating new career opportunities across hotels, restaurants, visitor attractions, events and travel services. If you are considering studying for a TTH qualification, this blog explains how current trends make now an ideal time to build a career in this dynamic global sector.
How Deloitte’s leisure trends strengthen the case for studying travel, tourism and hospitality (TTH) qualifications
Deloitte’s most recent UK Consumer Tracker shows a clear rebound and sustained growth in leisure spending — holidays, hospitality, experiences, and social activities. This tells us something important: people are prioritising leisure more than ever, even during periods of economic uncertainty.
From this, you can draw several compelling reasons for investing in a TTH qualification:
1. A growing leisure economy means more jobs, more roles, and more progression
When consumer spending rises in leisure categories, employers expand staffing, invest in new services, and seek people with stronger professional skills.
What this means for learners:
Studying TTH gives you a direct route into a sector that is not only rebounding but actively growing, creating continuous demand for trained people in customer service, hospitality operations, tourism, events, and leisure management.
2. Experiences are becoming more valuable than possessions — and TTH careers create those experiences
Deloitte’s findings reinforce a long-term shift: people prefer to spend money on experiences, not just things.
This directly elevates the importance of TTH careers because the sector delivers the experiences people are now choosing to invest in: travel, hospitality, events, restaurants, attractions, and leisure activities.
Learner benefit:
You build a career in a sector that is socially valued and economically prioritised.
3. Consumers are becoming more discerning, creating a premium on skilled, qualified staff
With more consumer spending comes higher expectations: better service, more personalised offers, smoother operations, and higher standards.
A TTH qualification develops these skills, giving learners a competitive advantage in a sector where employers increasingly prefer candidates who have formal training in areas such as:
- customer experience
- systems used in hospitality and travel
- sustainability
- communication and people skills
Learner benefit:
A qualification signals professionalism in a sector where expectations are rising.
4. Leisure growth fuels diversification — opening new, flexible career opportunities
Hotels, restaurants, visitor attractions, events venues, travel companies and tourist boards are expanding what they offer because demand is changing.
As employers diversify, new job roles appear, including:
- experience coordinators
- sustainability officers
- guest experience specialists
- travel advisors and digital booking coordinators
- events planners
- community and wellbeing leisure roles
Learner benefit:
There is no single path — TTH careers are varied, flexible, and adaptable to different interests and lifestyles.
5. A TTH qualification is future-proof because leisure demand is resilient
Even during economic pressures, the leisure sector often recovers faster than retail or durable goods. Deloitte’s research continues to show that people “protect” their leisure spending because it contributes directly to wellbeing and quality of life.
Learner benefit:
You’re entering a sector with long-term resilience — where skilled people are always needed.
Now is the perfect time to build your future in Travel, Tourism & Hospitality.
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