Tourism Apprenticeship: Is It Really Preparing Its Next Generation?

15% of tourism workers are under 26, while 37% are over 45 and 15% over 55.

Data presented at Convenc’Tour 2026 by CEDIV raises questions about the sector’s ability to renew its skill base.

Tourism has never needed to prepare its succession as much as today. Apprenticeship appears to be an excellent tool for renewing generations.

For Julien Beaufreton, HR Director of Asia and president of the CPPNI (Permanent Joint Committee for Negotiation and Interpretation) within Entreprises du Voyage (EDV), the success of apprenticeship lies in a win-win model. “An apprentice stays for an average of two years. This gives us the time to train them well, and for them to understand the company. Then, when we hire them, we do it with full confidence.”

Read also: Fewer apprentices, more seniors: the challenge of training for travel operators

The model, however, seems to be losing steam. For Kevin Giraudeau, operations project director at EFHT, the slowing down observed today is primarily a return to normal.

“In five years, we’ve gone from 500,000 to almost a million apprenticeship contracts in France. It’s enormous. After such growth, it’s only natural to see a phase of stabilization.”

The same observation at Yschool. Catherine Léon-Suberbielle, head of Programs, explains that the opening of the third-year Tourism Bachelor through work-study in 2022 immediately found its audience.

“The number of students surged in 2024-2025. Since then, we are witnessing a stabilization of enrollments and a slightly greater difficulty for students to secure a company for their search.”

At ESCAET, Julie Panadero does not observe a decline in numbers. On the contrary, her school is welcoming more apprentices than last year.

“We’ve moved from 206 to 220 apprentices this year, with further growth expected by the end of admissions.”

However, she confirms a shift on the part of companies. “We clearly felt a slowdown in apprenticeship offers, or even a freeze on recruitment in some companies,” says the ESCAET director.

All professionals questioned establish a link between the reduction in apprenticeship aid and the renewed caution of employers.

“Every hiring decision follows an economic logic. When recruiting costs rise, it becomes less attractive.”, recalls Julien Beaufreton.

But for him, the economic climate explains the slowdown just as well.

“Tourism remains a sector prone to crises. When companies request short-time work, their priority is, of course, not to recruit apprentices but to safeguard their financial health.”

At TUI France, the reduction in subsidies has not, however, called the HR strategy into question.

“We consider apprenticeship an investment in the medium to long term, more than a simple financial lever,” notes Patricia Bourrel, head of human resources.

The company today hosts 26 apprentices at the headquarters and 155 apprenticeship or professionalization contracts in its Lookéa and Marmara Clubs, well beyond the legal threshold of 5%.

Contrary to common belief, schools report no loss of interest among young people.

“Today, that’s what they want,” sums up Kevin Giraudeau of the EFHT. His institution hosts between 360 and 380 students, with about 95% following their program through apprenticeship.

At ESCAET, Julie Panadero speaks of a true revolution: “Before the Covid, we were at 100% initial training. Today, more than 90% of our students are apprentices. For them, a training without immersion in a company no longer makes sense.”

For Catherine Léon-Suberbielle, this shift is also linked to the cost of studies. “The number of students interested in apprenticeship grows because some simply could not finance their studies otherwise,” she observes.

Schools all point to a growing paradox. “Many recruiters want to welcome an apprentice, yet they demand that they already have substantial experience in the sector. But an apprentice is precisely there to learn their trade,” laments Julie Panadero of ESCAET, for whom this confusion weakens the entire recruitment chain.

“How can you train qualified professionals if juniors with no experience can’t find their place in a company?” she asks.

Kevin Giraudeau shares the same finding: “Sometimes a company requests a Master’s student for tasks that used to correspond to a Bachelor. It’s not the job that changed, it’s the search for maturity.”

He adds that the effects of Covid are still being felt. “Young people who are now 18 or 19 years old were 15 during lockdowns. I’m noticing a general dip in maturity, and that naturally affects what companies expect.”

At TUI France, the contemplation of aging staff is already underway. “We anticipated retirements within a three-year horizon to organize the transfer of know-how and rethink our organization,” explains Patricia Bourrel, HR director at TUI France.

The goal is to ensure continuity of expertise while preparing the next generation. For Patricia Bourrel, this also means everyday transfer. “The exchanges between experienced colleagues and new recruits allow the gradual transmission of the company’s know-how.”

All stakeholders ultimately converge on the same conclusion. “Two years of apprenticeship is almost a real-world trial period,” sums up Kevin Giraudeau.

“At Asia, we often hire our apprentices at the end of their contract. After two or three years of collaboration, we know the person perfectly,” confirms Julien Beaufreton.

And Julie Panadero concludes: “Apprenticeship remains essential. But we must stop treating it as a budgetary adjustment variable. When a company reduces its apprenticeship contracts, it weakens its own recruitment pool for the coming years.”