Report warns of decline in minority representation at senior level
The report was launched at the annual WiHTL and DiR Summit, held at the London Hilton Park Lane.
The latest WiHTL and Diversity in Retail (DiR) annual report, launched at this week's WiHTL and DiR Inclusion Summit, shows continued progress on gender representation across the hospitality industry – but warns of a decline in ethnic minority representation at senior levels.
The data, compiled by The MBS Group through interviews with chairs, chief executive officers and chief people officers, confirms that the hospitality, travel and leisure (HTL) sector continues to outperform the wider 350 FTSE on gender diversity across boards, executive committees and direct reports. However, ethnic minority representation has slipped, and a concerning number of boards remain entirely all-white.
The report was launched at the annual WiHTL and DiR Summit, held at the London Hilton Park Lane, where more than 650 senior leaders from across the industry gathered to share thoughts and insights on workplace inclusion.
Representation matters
At the very top – chair, CEO and CFO roles – women remain significantly underrepresented, signalling that further structural and cultural change is needed to achieve balance at the most strategic levels.
This year's WiHTL and DiR Inclusion Maturity Curve, which benchmarks companies' progress towards inclusion excellence, includes 92 participating organisations, up from 76 in 2024.
The HTL sector's inclusion maturity score has risen from 66% to 72.4%, marking tangible progress in how businesses approach diversity, equity and belonging. Results are validated by the Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice, Oxford Brookes Business School.
Tea Colaianni, founder and chair, WiHTL and DiR, commented: "As an industry, we know that inclusion is vital to building stronger, more successful organisations. When people from different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences have a seat at the table, businesses make better decisions and deliver better results.
"We've made encouraging progress, but there's still much more to do. Creating truly inclusive workplaces requires continued focus and intent, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their starting point, has the opportunity to contribute, grow and thrive."
More positively, 61% of companies now identify inclusion as a strategic priority for their CEO and executive committee, and 69% report leaders actively promoting a culture of belonging in their organisations.
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