World-class infrastructure certainly helps to attract visitors, but trained hospitality staff turn first-time tourists into loyal returnees and ambassadors. Nicolas Nasra, head of hotel advisory, hospitality & tourism at Colliers MENA, explains why investing in people is fundamental to building a sustainable, profitable tourism industry.

Tourism grows at the speed of people’s development. When destinations invest in the skills, confidence and careers of their hospitality workforce, first-time visits turn into repeat trips, therefore generating higher spending. Infrastructure advancements such as airports and roads, alongside policy initiatives, can facilitate initial visitor traffic. However, service quality will ensure repeat visits. Qualified professionals turn plans and infrastructure into memorable experiences, thereby fulfilling marketing promises. Thereby fulfilling marketing promises. Investing in hospitality education plays a critical role in this regard, helping to uplift service standards, attract higher-value visitors and strengthen a country’s tourism performance.

7 reasons training matters

1- It turns experience into loyalty: tourism is a business of memories. When guest-facing teams offer confident welcomes, swift resolutions and warm farewells, they create an emotional resonance that guests remember long-term. Those moments enhance satisfaction and shape positive reviews, which in turn drive repeat visits and word-of-mouth. Hospitality education has the potential to foster loyalty while driving new visits.

2- It optimizes profitability: skilled teams can drive hotel revenue without compromising the overall guest experience. They have the ability to anticipate guests’ needs and provide thoughtful recommendations. For example, when a late checkout can ease stress, which table feels like an upgrade, how to bundle an activity with dinner and when to suggest wellness add-ons. The outcome is visible in an uplift in Average Daily Rate (ADR) and enhanced revenue across F&B, activities, spa and retail. In other words, value that compounds across a destination.

3- It improves the market mix: cultural and language fluency build the confidence and trust that today’s travelers seek. This capability unlocks access to higher-value source markets, where guests are willing to invest more in experiences that offer certainty and care. A few well-chosen phrases at check-in, a clear safety briefing or a concierge suggestion that resonates with a specific culture, are key elements that encourage visitor returns and longer stays, leading to increased spending and positive recommendations to their social circles.

4- Boosts operational readiness: new openings put a country’s promise to the test. With trained teams, soft openings stabilize faster, issues are swiftly contained and productivity improves, safeguarding reputation precisely when social chatter is loudest and expediting consistent operational performance.

5- It reduces seasonal volatility: consistent service cushions the dips between peaks. Guests who feel looked after in shoulder months are more likely to return off-season. And well-trained event teams can turn one-time visitors into repeat travelers. The result is steadier demand and stronger asset utilization throughout the year.

6- It expands the workforce and enhances diversity: clear training pathways have a greater appeal and attract a wider talent base, such as youth and residents of secondary cities near emerging clusters. Clear career entry points and tangible professional progression can lead to reduced staff turnover and the retention of experienced professionals. This yields a substantial productivity benefit for the workforce, with implications far beyond the hospitality industry.

7- It strengthens reputation and image: impressive infrastructure sets the stage while superior service secures loyalty. As skilled hosts deliver outstanding interactions, the engagement becomes central to the destination’s story. This narrative strengthens the country’s reputation and image, attracting visitors, talent and long-term investors.

Unlocking higher-value segments

Training removes friction in the first service moments: a confident welcome, clear expectations and issues solved on the spot. Less friction translates to better reviews and customer satisfaction scores. Reviews act as the demand filter, shaping search rank, conversion and word-of-mouth. With stronger reviews and calmer teams, higher-value segments are unlocked: guests who are willing to pay a premium for certainty, care and time well spent. This reflects in ADR growth and an increase in overall spending – increased revenue from rooms, dining, activities and retail. In addition, smoother shifts reduce errors, time spent on corrections and staff turnover, thereby improving margins and operational efficiencies. If such gains are replicated across a destination, its brand strengthens. Subsequently, investors take notice and new hotels, attractions or service providers emerge.

5 key areas to prioritize:

1- Service consistency and standards: travelers forgive delays; they do not forgive unpredictability. Clarity on what ‘good’ looks like – welcome, housekeeping handover, table turn, tour brief – turns experiences from variable to dependable. Dependability is what loyalty buys, because guests return to destinations where they know they will be understood, safe and cared for. Such ‘predictability’ in service emanates from having defined service standards in a certain hotel or a destination offering.

2- Language and source-market fluency: a little fluency at arrivals, safety briefings and dining turns anxiety into confidence and subsequently into spend. It also unlocks guest segments where length of stays is longer. Other segments include guests who value guidance they can trust, particularly families, wellness travelers and experience-seekers who reward care with both time and wallet.

3- First-line leadership: strong frontline leadership is often the decisive factor in preventing and resolving operational challenges. The supervisor sets tempo, models standards, clears friction and keeps the team steady during demanding periods. At every position within a certain department, it is imperative that the staff are empowered to take decisions that are in the best interest of the guest. In a structured environment like that of a hotel, this is achieved by incorporating guest-focused training in a staff development roadmap.

4- Digital and commercial literacy: teams who manage reviews, note preferences and provide relevant offers drive organic revenue. Commercial intelligence is an integral component of effective care. When guests feel understood, the possibility of guest retention increases.

5- Signature experience skills: each tourism pillar – nature, heritage, wellness and MICE – requires a unique set of capabilities. Matching specific skills to each offering enables the experience to resonate while ensuring guests cherish their visit.

Human capability at the core

The effectiveness of training initiatives is underscored by several key metrics. New hires demonstrate a reduced learning curve while staff turnover falls, leading to a higher share of positive customer reviews. From a management perspective, this translates to healthier upsell and revenue growth, alongside a gradual increase in repeat visitation and length of stay in priority hubs. Collectively, these indicators powerfully illustrate the capability of human capital in enhancing competitiveness.

Upskilling transforms infrastructure into experiences and converts first-time guests into lifelong advocates, thereby strengthening the destination’s reputation. Countries that invest in their people enrich every guest interaction through elevated standards, amplifying the destination’s position on the global stage.