Geneva, 21 October 2026. DLG today publishes its read of the Luxury & Hospitality Career Index 2026, developed by Sommet Education in collaboration with DLG and issued by the group on 19 October. The Index draws on responses from 451 alumni of Glion Hospitality & Luxury Business Education, Top 3 worldwide in 2026 QS Ranking and Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, Top 2 worldwide in 2026 QS Ranking surveyed between April and August 2026. DLG designed the questionnaires, received anonymized responses only and conducted the analysis.

Cut by graduation year, the Index shows where these careers have reached. Among alumni who left in 2020 or later, 72% hold a management title, from assistant manager upwards. A third are at mid-level management or above, 16% are in senior management or executive roles, and 9% own or have founded a business.

Among those who graduated between 2010 and 2019, the share in management rises to 92%. Among those who left before 2010, 52% hold senior management or executive roles and nearly one in four, 23%, are owners or founders. These are three cohorts observed at a single point in time rather than one group followed over twenty years, but together they describe a path from operational management into leadership and, for a substantial share, business ownership.

Alumni are clear about what they want from an employer. Career development comes first, named by 66%, compensation second at 57% and brand reputation third at 50%.

Alumni were also asked to rate their current employer against 19 statements. Their strongest agreement relates to personal growth: 78% say their current role is developing skills valuable for their long-term career, the strongest agreement of any statement in the Index, and 76% say their employer has enhanced their professional profile. Perceptions of compensation and reward are more mixed, with 51% agreeing their salary is competitive relative to the market, 46% that their overall package reflects their contribution and 39% that the bonus structure is fair and motivating.

The careers themselves travel widely. 53% of respondents work outside their home country. Asked how well their education prepared them, 80% say they were well prepared for cross-cultural communication, 74% for understanding the luxury and hospitality industry and 69% for network building.

Asked to name the organizations they would most like to work for, alumni put international hotel groups at the top, with Four Seasons named most often. Luxury houses also appear in those aspirations, with LVMH among the ten most named employers and Chanel, Hermès, Richemont, Bulgari and Patek Philippe also cited.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH

The Luxury & Hospitality Career Index 2026 was developed by Sommet Education worldwide leader in hospitality education encompassing 2 of the Top ranked schools in the world, Glion Hospitality & Luxury Business Education and Les Roches in collaboration with DLG. It draws on responses from 451 alumni of Glion Hospitality & Luxury Business Education, Top 3 worldwide in QS Ranking 2026 and Les Roches Global Hospitality Education Top 2 worldwide in QS Ranking, collected between April and August 2026. DLG designed the questionnaires, received anonymized responses only and conducted the analysis. The samples are self-selected and span graduation years from before 1990 to 2026, so results describe alumni surveyed and should not be read as graduate-outcome rates for either school. No composite score or ranking is calculated, and no comparison between the two schools is made.

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