The Future of Hospitality: 4 Key Industry Trends in 2025 and Beyond

When you think of the word “hospitality,” you probably associate it with being made to feel welcome and comfortable. For hospitality management professionals, that’s the exact experience they’re dedicated to creating for their guests.

While the desire to give guests a positive experience is universal, the ways in which hospitality professionals accomplish this goal are varied and constantly changing. Below, we’ll discuss four key trends that are driving the hospitality industry forward in 2025.

Key Takeaways

• • Hospitality management encompasses careers in a variety of industries, with all of them focusing on guest experience and satisfaction.
  • The major trends shaping the future of hospitality include technological innovation, personalization, sustainability, and bleisure travel/long-term stays.
  • Continued education in hospitality management allows those with a passion for the industry to move into higher level roles.

What Is Hospitality Management?

Many think hospitality management is synonymous with hotel management, but that isn’t the case. In fact, hospitality management includes careers within a variety of industries. These might include management positions within hotels, travel and tourism, food and beverage, recreation, and more. Above all, those who work in hospitality management strive to create positive guest experiences.

To work in hospitality management, you must possess excellent leadership, customer service, and communication skills. While entry-level positions in hospitality may not require a degree, advancing your education can be crucial for gaining experience within the field and moving into high-level roles. The curriculum for an associate degree in hospitality management, for example, emphasizes competency in the following areas:

• Hospitality and tourism studies
• Digital technologies for business
• Room division management
• Hotel and lodging operations
• Food and beverage management

What Are the 4 Trends Influencing the Future of the Hospitality Management Industry?

Now that you understand the breadth of hospitality management, you’ll begin to see why the industry is constantly changing. According to the Business Research Company, growth in the hospitality industry will remain steady with the hospitality market size expected to grow from $5384.78 billion to $7239.02 billion by 2029. However, this period of growth in hospitality won’t happen on its own. It will be bolstered and shaped by various trends throughout the industry.

If you’re considering a career in hospitality, it’s crucial that you become familiar with four key trends—and understand how you can take advantage of these trends in your career:

1. Automation and AI Reshapes Guest Experiences
2. Hyper-Personalization Sets the New Standard
3. Sustainability Is Now a Competitive Imperative
4. The Rise of Bleisure (Business and Leisure) and Long-Term Stays

1. Automation and AI Reshapes Guest Experiences

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are surging through the hospitality industry. Customers are already witnessing how AI provides personalized guest experiences and streamlines how guests interact with hospitality companies.

On the front end, more hotels are utilizing AI within the booking, check-in, and check-out processes, as well as implementing these features in-room. AI chatbots and AI-powered assistants are all being used toward the common goal of guest convenience in the following ways:

• Speeding up processes through mobile check-in options
• Adjusting room settings via voice commands
• Getting instant answers to questions via company websites and social media

Behind the scenes, AI is also a powerful force for increasing operational efficiency. Within a hotel, this might mean using AI to manage inventory and predict stocking needs with greater accuracy. Another example would be utilizing AI to determine staffing needs and scheduling to match those labor needs. Ultimately, the introduction of AI means hospitality companies can create cost-effective processes without sacrificing quality or guest satisfaction.

2. Hyper-Personalization Sets the New Standard

Whether they are booking a hotel stay or a family vacation, guests want to feel like the service they receive is tailored to their needs. For returning guests, they also want their preferences to be remembered. Driven by AI and automation, hyper-personalization is key to making this a reality.

As mentioned above, AI has started playing a major role in these personalization efforts. Virtual AI concierges can provide individualized recommendations for nearby attractions and dining while also drawing on guests’ past stays to anticipate their needs. Since these features are data-driven, they can elevate the guest experience with every booking. Most of all, these trends in hyper-personalization make guests feel like more than a number. 

3. Sustainability Is Now a Competitive Imperative

In an age of growing climate concerns, many people are increasingly focused on sustainability within the global hospitality industry. It’s important to these guests that they book through companies who prioritize environmentally friendly-business practices. Hotels are known for high energy usage and producing carbon emissions, both of which negatively impact our world. By improving their sustainability practices, hospitality companies not only help the planet—they also attract environmentally-conscious guests and build trust in their hotel brand.

Sustainable and eco-friendly practices can be implemented on a small or broad scale. Even small changes can make a difference, such as encouraging guests to reduce individual energy use where they can. Whether it’s remembering to shut off the lights or reusing hand towels, many guests will appreciate this commitment to sustainability in their experience. Large-scale changes might look like:

• Adopting alternative energy sources
• Upgrading to more energy-efficient technologies
• Switching to low water-consuming kitchen equipment
• Composting instead of throwing out food waste

While sustainability practices can vary greatly, what’s clear is this: sustainability is here to stay. While not all guests actively consider it when booking, a commitment to sustainability makes a powerful impression. It’s sure to continue shaping the hospitality industry going forward.

4. The Rise of Bleisure (Business and Leisure) and Long-Term Stays

If you’re unfamiliar with the term “bleisure,” you won’t be for much longer. This hybrid of business and leisure has become staggeringly popular across the board, particularly among millennials and Gen-Z. Known for improving employee mental health, bleisure travel typically involves extending a work-related trip into personal vacation time. With more guests booking accommodations for their bleisure trips, hospitality businesses can stand out by offering discounted rates on extended stays and other incentives.

Along the same lines as bleisure travelers, digital nomads are also reshaping the hospitality industry. These guests pair remote work with continuous travel, relying on hotels and other accommodations for long-term stays around the world. To keep up with this growing portion of guests, hospitality companies are investing in amenities such as upgraded kitchens and reliable Wi-Fi.

How to Stay Ahead of the Hospitality Industry

With so many trends influencing the future of hospitality, overwhelm is inevitable. You may be wondering if you have what it takes to pursue a career in the industry or take the next step into a leadership role. Luckily, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself for success in an evolving industry!

The Importance of Continuing Education—How Can UC Help?

One of the biggest ways you can prepare for a career in hospitality management is through ongoing education. Especially with an increased emphasis on technology and efficiency, it’s important to constantly sharpen your hospitality knowledge and skillset.

This can be accomplished through company-specific or on-the-job training, but another option is enrolling in a formal degree program. If your dream is to climb the ranks and thrive in hospitality management, then a degree may be particularly advantageous. At the University of Cincinnati, we can help you determine if a hospitality management program is the right choice for you.

Interested in Earning Your Hospitality Management Degree or Certificate Online? Contact Us to Learn More!

Perhaps you’re ready to take the next step in hospitality management, but you can’t afford to give up your current job to do that. In that case, UC’s online programs may be the perfect fit for your needs!

UC’s Associate of Applied Business (AAB) in Hospitality Management program can be completed online in just 18 months. The degree combines a flexible, asynchronous schedule with a required professional internship, ensuring its graduates can become career-ready at their own pace. Not sure if an associate degree is the right fit? Consider starting with an online Certificate in Hospitality Management to immediately level up your skills.

Still have questions? That’s what UC’s online staff is here for. Contact an Enrollment Advisor today to receive personalized assistance with every step of the process—from deciding on a program to completing your application.

Your dream career in hospitality management is just around the corner!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the career outlook for hospitality management?

The career outlook for hospitality management is strong, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 10% growth from 2023 to 2033 for lodging managers. This is only one of many potential careers in hospitality management, but its growth speaks to an overall high demand for these professionals.

Is the hospitality industry struggling?

While it has rebounded significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitality industry continues to face challenges. The industry is projected to remain stable through 2025 but not experience major growth. Many of these challenges are rooted in sustainability and guest satisfaction, making it crucial to adopt current hospitality trends.

What is shaping the future of hospitality?

The major trends shaping the future of hospitality boil down to guest preferences and efficiency. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the goal is to be attentive and exceed guest expectations.