FUTOURWORK: IMPROVING TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY WORKER WELL-BEING THROUGH SOCIAL DIALOGUE

Launched in January 2025, FUTOURWORK is a Horizon Europe Project aiming to transform the future of work in tourism and hospitality. It will research and promote inclusive social dialogue and address the growing concerns related to platform work, job precarity, and the well-being of workers.

This ambitious initiative seeks to bring systemic change to how labour issues are addressed across the industry. Tourism and hospitality are a vital European economic sector employing 13 million people (11.7% of all jobs), with a high proportion of women, migrants and youth, and an alarming 1.2 million vacancies.

Led by the University of Westminster (UK), FUTOURWORK brings together a dynamic consortium of eight partners from six countries: CoLABOR (Portugal), Lusófona University (Portugal), Babeş-Bolyai University (Romania), The American College of Greece (Greece), Dalarna University (Sweden), Zangador Research Institute (Bulgaria), and Equality in Tourism International (UK).

The project will directly engage with workers, employers and social dialogue organisations through a range of activities, including surveys, interviews, storytelling initiatives, and multi-stakeholder learning dialogues.

FUTOURWORK will produce a worker well-being index for industry benchmarking, a documentary showcasing the stories of T&H workers, as well as establishing an observatory platform to provide a one-stop shop for workers’ rights and facilitate ongoing discussions among stakeholders. These initiatives will significantly contribute to scientific knowledge, raise public awareness and promote policy changes that enhance working conditions in tourism and hospitality.

The 3.5-year project will bring meaningful improvements in how tourism and hospitality workers are engaging with social dialogue processes, leading to a more equitable and sustainable future for the industry.