Purpose Over Paycheck: RateHawk Study Reveals Why 92% of Travel Professionals Love Their Job

 

August 6, 2025 – Travel professionals around the globe demonstrate a strong long-term commitment to the industry and report high levels of career fulfillment. Their purpose-driven mindset, fueled by a passion for travel and human connection, continues to shape the sector and helps specialists navigate the increasing complexity of the post-pandemic environment. These are the findings of RateHawk’s latest report, “What Supercharges Travel Professionals”, which explores travel professionals’ perspectives on the ever-evolving travel industry. 

 

RateHawk, a B2B online system for booking hotels, flights, and transfers, surveyed over 1,300 professionals across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and the GCC. The study examines agents’ key motivations, challenges, and the role of technology in the travel industry in 2025.

 

The first part of the report focuses on travel professionals’ experience trends and the main drivers behind their lasting careers.

 

Long-term commitment and a new wave of popularity

Travel professionals show strong loyalty to the industry, with 42% of respondents having more than 15 years of experience. This trend is especially prominent in Europe (51%), particularly in Italy (68%), Germany (64%), and Spain (52%).

 

At the same time, the industry continues to attract newcomers, with 18% of respondents worldwide having joined in the last 1 to 3 years. In some regions, this share is noticeably higher — for example, 23% in North America and 25% in Latin America. Meanwhile, one in four respondents worldwide (25%) has worked in the industry for 4 to 10 years, while 15% have 11 to 15 years of experience.

“Today, the travel industry continues to draw new specialists, making it one of the fastest-growing career sectors, according to global reports. Our study also highlights the growing popularity of the travel advisor profession over the last three years. It is driven by the transformation of the economy after the pandemic and the desire of next-gen travelers to rely on travel agents while planning their trips,” commented Astrid Kastberg, Managing Director of RateHawk.

The survey shows that 93% of the participants work in small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 50 people. Of these, 50% of all travel professionals globally work in businesses of 2 to 5 people, with the highest concentration in Europe (58%) and Latin America (47%). Around 17% operate as independent agents, with North America reporting the largest share (22%). In contrast, solo professionals are far less common in Asia and the GCC, where medium-sized companies (6 to 50 employees) dominate, representing 44% and 51% respectively. Globally, medium-sized companies account for 26% of respondents. Only 7% of respondents work in companies with more than 50 employees.

 

“Since the majority of travel businesses are relatively small, effectiveness is crucial. Success depends on every team member, which is why RateHawk develops tech-driven tools to help agents excel and deliver outstanding service with less effort,” shared Astrid Kastberg.

Motivated by curiosity and the human touch

Job satisfaction is remarkably high in the travel industry, with an overwhelming 92% of professionals describing themselves as satisfied or very satisfied in their roles. Latin America leads with the highest satisfaction rate at 95%. Only 1% of respondents globally reported being dissatisfied.

 

According to the survey, travel professionals worldwide are most motivated by the opportunity to create memorable experiences for their clients (51%), explore new destinations (42%), and receive positive client feedback (39%). This reflects a people-focused approach that drives agents’ careers. One in four respondents also values the independence their travel career offers, while work-life balance (21%) and financial incentives (15%) are less commonly cited among the most rewarding aspects.

In North America, 73% of travel professionals say creating memorable experiences is their favorite part of the job. Additionally, one in four respondents values independence, work-life balance, and access to special rates.

 

When interacting with clients, respondents find that building long-term relationships (36%), receiving positive feedback (30%), and helping clients find the perfect offer (26%) are the most rewarding aspects of their work. In contrast, closing high-value sales is perceived as a much less rewarding experience, with only 8% of respondents selecting this.

 

To stay motivated, travel professionals choose ongoing professional and business development: 46% attend travel industry events, 45% set personal sales goals, 39% engage with professional networks, and 31% regularly participate in webinars and educational courses. Other motivating habits include testing new AI tools, exploring partnerships, and taking personal trips to better design itineraries for clients.

 

“The travel industry has always attracted passionate specialists who love exploring the world themselves and helping others create meaningful experiences. Our mission is to empower both veterans and newcomers with technology-driven solutions that streamline routine tasks and focus their energy on the parts of the job they enjoy most. This report reflects our commitment to supporting the travel professionals’ community and driving the sustainable development of the travel industry in general. We believe that by better understanding the real needs and motivations of travel professionals, stakeholders can create more relevant solutions,” shares Astrid Kastberg, Managing Director of RateHawk.

 

The report is based on the survey held in the second quarter of 2025. Respondents were representatives of leisure and business travel sectors, including travel agencies, travel management companies, tour operators, host agency members, and independent travel advisors.

 

About RateHawk

RateHawk is an innovative B2B travel booking platform developed by Emerging Travel Group. It offers hotels, flights, train tickets, transfers, car rentals, and more — all in a single, user-friendly system. With 24/7 support and powerful booking tools, RateHawk helps travel professionals build complete and competitive itineraries efficiently.

 

RateHawk partners have access to over 2.7 million properties from over 140,000 directly contracted hotels and 320 global suppliers, along with flights from 400+ airlines and transfers in more than 150 countries.