14th February 2026
The Scotland tourism and hospitality sector—a dynamic part of the country's economy and identity—is at a crossroads. That's the central message of Serving the Future, a comprehensive research and action programme undertaken by the Fraser of Allander Institute and The Poverty Alliance between 2021 and 2025.
As this project concludes, it leaves behind a rich body of evidence, practical resources and targeted policy recommendations designed to support both the workforce and the businesses that rely on them.
In this blog post, we unpack the latest evidence on what needs to change in the sector, summarise the key policy recommendations emerging from the research, and explain what the newly launched Tourism and Hospitality Toolkit has achieved based on its recent evaluation.
Why Serving the Future Matters
The Serving the Future project took an action research approach, meaning it didn't just observe challenges in hospitality—researchers worked directly with workers, employers and industry leaders to identify opportunities for practical improvements and long-term change.
Hospitality workers—many of whom are among the lowest-paid in Scotland—face a range of systemic issues, including unpredictable hours, low pay, limited progression and barriers tied to transport, childcare and housing. Employers, too, expressed the desire to improve working conditions but highlighted the practical pressures of tight margins, rising costs and limited support.
From these conversations and case studies emerged a set of clear policy priorities and recommendations aimed at both governments (Scottish and UK) and industry bodies. These recommendations should be read alongside the policy briefing published in June 2025.
Core Policy Recommendations
The Serving the Future policy briefing—titled Tackling In-work Poverty in the Hospitality Sector—lays out a series of targeted, evidence-based recommendations designed to address the root causes of insecure work and poverty in the hospitality industry. Here are the core themes:
Strengthening Fair Work Standards
At the heart of the policy recommendations is a commitment to expanding fair work principles across the sector. This includes:
Better enforcement of existing employment laws to ensure fair pay and secure working conditions.
Support for employers to adopt best practices in scheduling, contracts and progression, recognising that higher quality jobs benefit both workers and businesses.
Fair work is defined as employment that provides secure pay and conditions, where workers have a voice, opportunities for progression, and are treated with respect. This isn't just ethical—it correlates with stronger employee retention and business resilience.
Supporting Business Capacity and Skills Development
Many hospitality employers want to improve how they treat and retain staff, but lack resources and guidance to implement sustainable change. Policy actions could include:
Funding and incentives to help businesses access training and development tools.
Practical, consistent information from government on best employment practices, legislative changes and emerging opportunities.
This recommendation aligns with the real-world challenges highlighted by employers during the project's Action Learning Sets, in which small business leaders explored practical improvements together.
Addressing Structural Barriers
Many of the challenges that keep workers in precarious roles extend beyond the workplace. The research emphasises that:
Affordable childcare, especially in rural areas, remains a major barrier.
Accessible, reliable transport can limit people’s ability to take on or sustain roles.
Housing costs and availability also shape job stability.
Participants in the study consistently pointed to these structural constraints as key to understanding why hospitality workers struggle to develop financially sustainable careers.
Enhancing Worker Voice and Representation
Another recommendation focuses on improving worker representation so employees have channels to raise concerns and influence workplace policy. This could involve:
Reforms that require employer consultation on key issues like tipping and working hours.
Strengthening the role of representative bodies that can advocate for workers’ rights industry-wide.
The Tourism and Hospitality Toolkit: Practical Support Where It Matters
In parallel with high-level recommendations, the Serving the Future team has also sought to provide hands-on support through the Tourism and Hospitality Toolkit—a free, online resource designed to help both employers and employees navigate the challenges of the sector.
Explore the Toolkit here:
[url=https://www.tourismhospitalitytoolkit.co.uk/https://www.tourismhospitalitytoolkit.co.uk/[/url]
The Toolkit includes two dedicated strands:
For Employers
Practical modules on:
Recruitment and retention strategies
Fair work implementation
Training and development pathways
Sustainability and achieving net zero
Legal and compliance guidance
These tools help businesses adopt evidence-based practices that improve working conditions and business outcomes.
For Employees
Guidance on:
Understanding rights at work
Training and career progression
Wellbeing and workplace support
Visa support and immigration questions
The aim is to empower workers to make informed decisions about their careers and engage proactively with employers.
What the Toolkit Evaluation Shows
A recent evaluation report looked at the first ten months of the Toolkit’s use and highlighted several important findings:
Toolkit Is Being Used and Valued
Website analytics and early feedback indicate that both employees and employers are accessing the Toolkit and finding resources they can apply directly.
Content Meets Real Needs
Interviews and surveys suggest that users appreciate the Toolkit’s practical orientation—especially case studies that illustrate how other businesses have navigated common challenges.
Room to Grow
The evaluation also identifies areas for improvement, including expanding Toolkit content, integrating feedback mechanisms more fully, and ensuring that emerging sector challenges are reflected in updates.
Overall, the evaluation concludes that the Toolkit is a promising tool to support workplace change—but ongoing refinement and promotion will be key to its long-term impact.
A Shared Vision for the Sector
As Serving the Future wraps up, its legacy lies not just in data and reports, but in a shared understanding among workers, employers and policy-makers of what needs to happen next.
From policy reforms that strengthen fair work to practical, website-based Toolkit resources that support business and career development, the recommendations emerging from this project offer a roadmap for a more equitable, sustainable Scottish hospitality sector.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the full reports or access the tools discussed here, you can start with:
Serving the Future: What’s Next for the Hospitality Sector —
https://fraserofallander.org/serving-the-future-whats-next-for-the-hospitality-sector/
Serving the Future: Hospitality Policy Briefing —
https://fraserofallander.org/publications/serving-the-future-hospitality-policy-briefing/
Tourism & Hospitality Toolkit —
https://www.tourismhospitalitytoolkit.co.uk/
Toolkit Evaluation Report —
https://fraserofallander.org/publications/serving-the-future-tourism-and-hospitality-toolkit-evaluation-report/
Source
https://fraserofallander.org/serving-the-future-whats-next-for-the-hospitality-sector/