By Ruby Abery, published 31 October 2025
The hospitality and travel sectors are evolving rapidly, and so are the demands on finance teams. As a specialist search and selection consultant for finance roles in these industries, here’s what we’re seeing in 2025 and why 2026 is shaping up to be a candidate-driven market.
Market Snapshot: A Sector in Transition
Leisure travel is bouncing back, but business travel remains soft. At the same time, rising costs, wages, energy, and inflation are putting pressure on margins. Finance teams are now more critical than ever, not just for reporting, but for strategic decision-making that impacts the entire business.
What Employers Are Really Looking For
Today’s hospitality and travel finance roles demand more than number-crunching. Top employers want professionals who can:
- Drive cost management and forecasting to protect margins
- Act as commercial partners across operations, revenue management, and procurement
- Support digital and operational transformation initiatives
- Provide actionable insights that influence strategic business decisions
Finance teams that combine technical expertise with commercial awareness are in high demand and increasingly hard to find.
What’s Ahead for 2026
Looking ahead, hiring will be selective, strategic, and competitive:
- Senior and hybrid roles will remain in high demand, particularly those combining transactional skills with commercial influence
- Transactional-only positions are slowing
- The best candidates are in high demand - they will not wait for your job advert
Companies that move quickly and strategically will secure the finance talent that drives growth and operational excellence.
The Bottom Line: Partnering for Success
Hospitality and travel are evolving fast. For organisations seeking finance professionals who deliver insight, growth, and operational impact, partnering with a specialist search consultant is now more critical than ever.
