As Global Members of the World Travel & Tourism Council, CDR Partners joined leaders from around the world at this year’s Global Summit in Rome to engage in a dialogue about the future of work, and what it truly means to lead, inspire, and sustain the world’s most human industry.

The WTTC’s Future of Work in Travel & Tourism report, launched at the Summit, underscores the immense opportunity that lies ahead. The sector already supports more than 357 million jobs worldwide and will create an additional 91 million roles by 2035, meaning one in three net new jobs globally will come from travel and tourism. This growth, while promising, also presents an urgent challenge, with a projected 43 million-person talent shortfall if the sector fails to attract, develop, and retain the people who bring it to life.

At CDR, we see this moment as a call to action. The future of hospitality cannot be built on yesterday’s perceptions of service as servitude. It must be defined by creativity, curiosity, and co-creation. The people who work in this industry are not simply serving guests; they are crafting connections, curating joy, and staging some of the most meaningful moments of human life. They are the stage masters of memory, belonging, and shared experience. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial to achieving these goals.

The future of work in travel and tourism will not be defined by technology alone, it will be determined by people, and by how we choose to value them.

This shift in mindset is central to how CDR approaches leadership and talent. Across our work with global hotel groups, lifestyle brands, and destination developers, we see a generation of leaders who understand that purpose and performance are inseparable. They are not just reimagining what it means to work in hospitality, but actively shaping it, from the boardroom to the front line, and thereby, shaping a new narrative of dignity, creativity, and growth.

As part of WTTC’s global community, we are committed to being an active player in shaping the talent economy of tomorrow, helping organisations future-proof their leadership pipelines, developing programmes that inspire young people to join and stay in the sector, and reframing hospitality as one of the most creative, human, and fulfilling careers of the next decade.

Because the future of work in travel and tourism will not be defined by technology alone, it will be determined by people, and by how we choose to value them. The industry’s future is inextricably linked to the people who bring it to life, and it’s our collective responsibility to ensure they are valued, appreciated, and integral to its future.