Behind the Smile: Hospitality Workers andMental Health

By Dr. Robertico Croes

Hospitality workers are trained to welcome people, solve problems, remain patient, and create positive experiences. They are expected to smile even when they are tired, worried, or under pressure. Yet behind that smile, many workers may be struggling with stress, anxiety, emotional exhaustion or depression.

Mental health in hospitality deserves more attention because employees are not simply part of the tourism product. They are people with families, financial responsibilities, personal aspirations and emotional needs. Their well-being should matter in its own right. It also influences the quality of service, workforce stability, and the long-term sustainability of tourism.

The hidden emotional demands of hospitality

Hospitality work can be rewarding. It allows employees to meet people, develop valuable skills and contribute to memorable visitor experiences. However, the work also carries particular pressures. Hotels, restaurants, casinos, attractions and other visitor businesses frequently operate early in the morning, late at night, on weekends and during holidays. These are precisely the times when workers may want to be with their families.

Many employees also work rotating or unpredictable schedules. Some face long shifts, insufficient rest, relatively low wages or limited opportunities for advancement. Frontline employees must manage complaints, impatient guests and, at times, disrespectful behavior. Even when a guest is unreasonable, the employee is generally expected to remain calm and friendly.

This is known as “emotional labor”: the effort required to display the emotion expected by the organization, regardless of what the worker is actually feeling. When this continues without enough rest, support, or recognition, it can contribute to emotional exhaustion and burnout.

Mental-health difficulties are not always visible. A worker may continue to arrive on time and serve guests while suffering internally. Warning signs can include persistent tiredness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, loss of motivation, poor concentration, absenteeism, increased use of alcohol or other substances, and withdrawal from coworkers or family members.

The legacy of COVID 19

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of hospitality employment. In The State of the Hospitality Industry 2021 Employment Report: COVID-19 Labor Force Legacy, Croes, Semrad and Rivera surveyed almost 1,000 hospitality workers in the United States. The study examined job disruption, willingness to remain in the hospitality industry, career satisfaction, work-life balance, and perceptions of the industry. The report found that the pandemic produced more than a temporary employment interruption. It encouraged what may be described as a reassessment of work. Employees reconsidered whether hospitality offered sufficient security, acceptable working conditions, meaningful career benefits and a reasonable balance between work and family life. Safety concerns, stressful working environments and uncertainty influenced whether workers wanted to remain in or return to the industry.

This legacy continues to matter. Tourism demand has recovered in many destinations, but employment recovery does not automatically mean emotional recovery. Employees may still carry memories of sudden job loss, reduced income, health risks, and uncertainty. At the same time, labor shortages can place additional pressure on those who remain. When fewer people must perform the same amount of work, workloads increase and opportunities for rest decrease.

Recent research reinforces these concerns. A systematic review by Wong and colleagues examined 184 studies on mental health and psychological well-being in hospitality and tourism. It concluded that employee well-being is shaped by several interconnected factors, including working conditions, leadership, job security, workplace relationships and organizational support. The authors also called for greater attention to the pandemic’s long-term effects on career perceptions and mental health.

Other studies have found that job insecurity can increase anxiety, depression and stress among tourism employees. Research also connects mental-health difficulties with absenteeism, reduced life satisfaction and intentions to leave the industry. Conversely, supportive supervisors, trusted coworkers, fair treatment and a sense of belonging can protect workers’ well-being.

The message is clear: mental health cannot be addressed only by telling employees to become more resilient. Individual coping skills are useful, but they cannot correct chronic understaffing, excessive workloads, unfair scheduling, inadequate compensation or a workplace culture in which employees are afraid to ask for help.

Why this matters for Aruba

The issue is especially important in Aruba because hospitality is neither small nor distant from the economy. Tourism shapes employment, household income, and daily life across the island. Thousands of workers interact directly or indirectly with visitors, and many families depend on tourism-related earnings.

Research conducted in a small-island Caribbean tourism economy, identified as Aruba, found that tourism employees perceived greater personal health risks during the pandemic than people working outside tourism. Peterson and DiPietro showed how the collapse of tourism affected employees’ perceptions, sentiments and sense of security.

Research on happiness and tourism in Aruba has also warned that when tourism workers perceive people outside the industry as enjoying better lives, stronger work-life balance, or greater satisfaction, they may become less willing to remain in the hospitality industry. This would affect not only employees but also Aruba’s capacity to recruit and retain the skilled, motivated people on whom its tourism reputation depends.

A 2025 Aruba study of 83 adults, while limited by its small and nonrepresentative sample, also found unequal experiences of anxiety and depression across demographic groups. It underscores the importance of culturally sensitive support and better local evidence. However, Aruba still lacks a comprehensive, regularly conducted assessment focused specifically on the mental health of hospitality workers.

That gap should be addressed. Aruba could conduct a confidential workforce survey covering stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, sleep, financial pressure, job security, scheduling, work- family conflict and access to help. Results should be examined by occupation, age, gender, employment status and other relevant characteristics while strictly protecting employees’ identities.

Employers can also act now. They can provide predictable schedules, adequate rest, respectful supervision, confidential counseling, mental health training for managers, and clear procedures for addressing harassment or abusive guest behavior. Employees should be able to seek assistance without fear of stigma, lost hours, or damage to their careers. Support should be available in the languages used by Aruba’s diverse workforce.

A call for special attention

Aruba’s hospitality workers help sustain the island’s economy and international reputation every day. They welcome strangers, respond to complaints, work while others celebrate, and bear the responsibility of delivering the warmth Aruba is known for.

Their smiles should never be mistaken for proof that everything is fine.

The MamaTies Foundation therefore calls on the government, tourism organizations, employers, labor representatives, health professionals, and researchers to pay special attention to the mental health of hospitality workers in Aruba. We need to listen to their experiences, measure the problem carefully and provide accessible, confidential and culturally appropriate support.

A successful tourism destination should not be judged only by visitor numbers, hotel occupancy or tourism receipts. It should also be judged by whether the people who create the visitor experience can live healthy, secure and fulfilling lives.

Mental health is not separate from hospitality. Caring for those who care for our visitors must become part of what Aruban hospitality means.

Selected references

Croes, R., Semrad, K., & Rivera, M. A. (2021). The state of the hospitality industry 2021 employment report: COVID-19 labor force legacy. Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies.
View the report.

Davies, L., et al. (2025). Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health status of different age groups in a sample population in Aruba. Open Journal of Internal Medicine, 15, 294–301.
View the study.

Peterson, R. R., & DiPietro, R. B. (2021). Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: Evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean. International Hospitality Review, 35(2), 156–170.
View the publication.

Wong, A. K. F., Kim, S., Gamor, E., Koseoglu, M. A., & Liu, Y. (2025). Advancing employees’ mental health and psychological well-being research in hospitality and tourism: Systematic review, critical reflections, and future prospects. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 49(5).
View the study.