A significant 34% of high-end travel professionals say “feeling undervalued” is their main reason for resigning, according to new research by Ambitions Travel Recruitment (ATR). 

Management culture and poor communication – often related to this feeling of being unappreciated – are also factors driving staff to quit. 

“Ultimately we're talking about relationships here,” Fiona (Fi) Morrison-Arnthal, founder and managing director of Ambitions Travel Recruitment, told TTG. 

“You're having a relationship with an employer, with your colleagues, and with your manager. Who wants to stay in any kind of toxic relationship where they don't feel valued?”

The findings also challenge common assumptions that salary is the ultimate decider when accepting a position or staying in a role. 

“Salary alone doesn’t give you job satisfaction,” Fiona explained. “Luxury travel professionals are increasingly asking: ‘Where does my real happiness lie? Where is my self-esteem? How am I getting this feeling so that when I leave for work, and when I come home, I can actually say I enjoy my job?’”

Fiona urged managers to emotionally invest in their employees, adding that this human connection is especially vital in a sector where people are rarely motivated by money.

“If you really get to know your employee and what makes them tick and what gives them that self-esteem, then they will achieve so much more."

This sentiment was echoed by Tessa Robertson, a senior recruitment consultant at ATR who spent 13 years at a travel company prior to the pandemic. The South African native recalls staying with her previous employer for more than a decade despite not being highly paid, simply because management made her feel heard and appreciated. 

“What made me feel valued? It was honestly just being asked for our input,” Tessa explained. “They asked us, what do we think? Is it going to work? They didn't just make the changes without consulting us – that made me feel valued.” 

The hiring expert also emphasised the importance of recognition and rewards: “I remember once a manager calling me into the office and saying, ‘Tess, we want to send you and your husband on a trip. And this is not a fam trip. You can go back to somewhere you've been before. It's not about experiencing a lodge or a destination. It's a thank you.’” 

Fiona also stressed the importance of formal exit interviews, noting they are crucial tools for employers who want to understand systemic issues within a team. 

“I very rarely hear of exit interviews being conducted [in luxury travel],” Fiona said, adding that a quick chat before an employee leaves is not a substitute for official feedback. 

“It's an opportunity to ask why the employee is leaving. Yes, it's a bit late, and it's a challenge, but it's then when the employer can try to overcome issues that they should have known about.” 

Failure to accept criticism from resigning employees can have detrimental consequences on the reputation of a business, especially in a sector where word travels fast. 

“The industry is so small,” Tessa noted. “If they’ve left for negative reasons, word tends to travel quickly.’"

She warned that once a poor internal culture becomes widespread knowledge, a firm's talent pool quickly dries up: “They're never going to find the strongest talent once that reputation takes hold.”

Onboarding also emerged as a significant flashpoint where employers lose people early on. ATR told TTG they have had several candidates report feeling like an afterthought due to disorganised inductions.

“I've had candidates sometimes start and they don't even have a laptop for their first day,” Tessa said. 

Fiona concluded that employers must adopt a “prevention is better than cure” approach, taking notes on what specifically makes each employee perform at their best. 

“People don't leave companies, they leave people – they leave the managers," she added. "Your most important asset is your people. They're the most valuable thing that you have.” 

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