Over the past three years, Be Inclusive Hospitality’s Inside Hospitality surveys have gathered more than 4,000 responses from employees across the UK, representing a diverse range of backgrounds and career levels.

To mark the release of this report, a launch event was held at Think Tank, 8 Bishopsgate, bringing together 160 hospitality professionals to unveil key findings, participate in panel discussions, and engage in a Q&A session.

Key report findings:

Optimism: The majority of respondents, regardless of ethnicity, expressed optimism about career opportunities within the hospitality industry.

Declining Earnings: Across all ethnicities, the proportion of high earners has declined, with Black and Asian employees experience particularly sharp declines. Additionally, part-time employment has increased disproportionately among Black and Asian employees, while White respondents’ full-time employment has remained more stable.

Barriers to Progression: White employees have consistently held the highest representation in management roles. Focus group participants identified bias, favouritism, and a lack of transparency as some of the key barriers preventing ethnic minorities from progressing beyond entry-level roles.

Limited Access to Career Development: In more recent years, ethnic minority respondents placed significant value on mentorship but reported that access to structured career development opportunities often required self-funding or external networks rather than employer support.

Workplace Racism Remains an Issue: Reports of racism and discrimination in the workplace remains a matter for major concern.

Training: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training participation has remained low since 2021, though engagement among leaders and decision-makers has risen, with a consistently high appetite to access training from all respondents.

Lorraine Copes, Founder and CEO of Be Inclusive Hospitality, reinforced the need for action: “This report reinforces what many already know – barriers to progression for ethnically diverse talent in hospitality persist. While there is optimism, the data reveals stark disparities in pay, opportunity, and access to career development. Change will not happen by chance; it requires intentional action from industry leaders to create equitable pathways for all. My hope is that this report serves as a catalyst for those in power to rethink their policies, practices, and commitment to inclusion.”

The Careers in Hospitality: Removing Barriers to Progression report is available to download here.