2025 Report Highlights Diversity Challenges and Progress in Hotel Industry Leadership

The Penn State School of Hospitality Management’s 2025 Representation in Hotel Leadership report reveals stagnation in women’s representation in upper-level management and a decline in Black leadership within the hotel industry, while progress is noted in diversifying corporate boards.

The Penn State School of Hospitality Management has released its 2025 Representation in Hotel Leadership research report, which provides a comprehensive analysis of diversity trends within the hotel industry. The report highlights critical issues, such as the stagnation of women’s representation in upper-level management and a decrease in Black leadership from 2022 to 2025. Despite these challenges, the report notes progress in diversifying corporate boards, particularly regarding racial diversity.

Research Methodology

The research team, led by Phil Jolly, an associate professor of hospitality management at Penn State, conducted an extensive review of publicly available data. This analysis included information on over 10,000 individuals from 1,439 companies and more than 5,500 hotel-investment-conference attendees. The study aimed to track diversity trends and identify areas where the industry can improve its inclusivity efforts.

Key Findings: Women in Leadership

The report reveals that women remain underrepresented in hotel company leadership compared to their presence in the hospitality workforce and among hospitality management graduates. In 2024, women made up 58.6% of the hospitality workforce and 69% of hospitality management graduates. However, at the director level, gender parity is nearly achieved, but women’s representation declines significantly at more senior levels. Women occupy approximately one in four C-suite roles but are notably scarce in investment, development, and technology leadership positions. At the partner or principal level, women account for only 13% of leaders, with men outnumbering women nearly seven-to-one.

Key Findings: Black Leadership

The representation of Black leaders in director-to-CEO positions has decreased slightly, from 2.2% in 2022 to 2.1% in 2025, despite Black individuals comprising 16.7% of the industry workforce. The report highlights a significant decline in representation with increasing seniority. There is only one Black C-suite leader for every 68 executives and one Black CEO or president for every 102 executives.

Corporate Board Diversity

The report notes that women held 28.4% of independent board seats, slightly below the Russell 3000 average of 30.4%. Black directors accounted for 11.2% of board members, a decrease from 12.6% in 2022, yet still close to the S&P 500 average of 12%. Encouragingly, half of the newly appointed board directors were women, and half were Black. However, low board turnover, averaging 5.4% annually from 2023 to 2025, limits opportunities for further diversification.

Industry Response and Future Directions

Kevin Carey, president and CEO of the AHLA Foundation, emphasized the importance of the report’s findings in establishing a clear baseline for ongoing efforts to create career opportunities in hospitality. The AHLA Foundation, which provided funding support for this report, remains committed to fostering inclusivity and addressing the industry’s needs. The report serves as an update to a previous study. It continues the collaborative work between the Penn State School of Hospitality Management and the AHLA Foundation, with additional support from the Walter J. Conti Visiting Professorship.

Conclusion

The 2025 Representation in Hotel Leadership report underscores the ongoing challenges of achieving diversity and inclusion in the hotel industry, particularly regarding the representation of women and Black leaders in upper-level management. While progress has been made in diversifying corporate boards, the industry must continue to address these disparities to ensure a more inclusive future. By regularly tracking diversity data, stakeholders can identify areas for improvement and work towards creating pathways for all capable leaders to rise.

Read the complete 2025 Representation in Hotel Leadership report.