Luxury travel professionals rank ‘flexibility’ as the most important factor at the job offer stage, according to a March 2026 survey by Ambitions Travel Recruitment.

A hybrid model is a key pillar of this flexibility, with 80% of travel consultants now viewing homeworking as a right rather than a privilege.

Currently, a three-day office week is the most common arrangement across the UK’s corporate scene. The policy has been adopted by leading tech firms like Microsoft, Google and Meta, as well as financial providers such as Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays. 

Proponents say this model fosters better communication and rapport amongst teams, whilst also offering the flexibility employees have come to expect since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

However, an office-dominated week doesn’t align with the lifestyles of today’s luxury travel professionals. 

“Our respondents said they’d much rather do two days in the office,” Fiona Morrison-Arnthal, founder of Ambitions Travel Recruitment, told TTG. “They also would like them to be set days, which allows them to plan their week better.”

The hiring expert added that candidates are fine for these days to be determined by their employer, so long as they are consistent: “There doesn’t seem to be any pushback in that regard, it’s more that they want to know which days they must be in.”

Interestingly, Fiona has yet to have a job seeker specify they didn’t want the option of remote working.

“I’ve never had a candidate say, ‘Hybrid’s not for me,” she said. “At the same time, very few – around 10% – have requested a fully remote position.”

As for the motivation behind these preferences, Fiona believes it’s largely driven by the current economy. The majority of luxury travel companies are headquartered in London, a city which has become increasingly unaffordable. 

“London is a talent hub, but many travel professionals have now moved out of London,” she said. “The reality is, they may have families and can’t afford to live in the capital anymore. But that doesn’t mean they want to give up their career as a luxury tailor-made travel consultant.”

Unfortunately, not all luxury travel companies are able – or willing – to accommodate these requests.

“I'll have conversations with businesses, particularly smaller ones, and they'll say, ‘No, we really want everybody to come back into the office,” said Fiona. “They fear that if someone asks for remote working, it will set a precedent.” 

It’s this traditional mentality, however, that narrows the employer’s choice of applicants – and potentially, the growth of their business. 

“The problem is that they’re competing against another company who is absolutely fine with that person being an adult and managing their own time.”

While holiday entitlement didn't emerge as a deciding factor in accepting a job, a company’s annual leave policy is still important to prospective employees. 

Another ATR poll found that 86% of travel professionals expect a minimum of 23 days as a non-negotiable baseline, excluding bank holidays. “You will never retain an individual by offering 20 days annual leave,” Fiona warned. 

Progression is another a significant priority for today’s luxury travel professionals, 14% of whom have identified career development as a primary driver of job acceptance.