Abstract
The literature has documented numerous challenges related to the sustainability of our global tourism workforce and the ill-being impacts of tourism work, particularly front-line service roles. These impacts are linked to the distinct nature of the tourism industry, which is often characterised by seasonality, precarious employment, emotional labour, and poor working conditions. However, the unique context of tourism work also presents a range of opportunities to enhance and foster psychological well-being in tourism organisations through “need-supportive” leadership. This chapter is designed to assist tourism leaders in cultivating psychological well-being within their organisations by conceptually exploring need-supportive leadership approaches, as well as identifying a range of need-supportive leadership practices. The chapter begins by examining the causes of psychological ill-being in tourism organisations. The concept of need-supportive leadership in relation to the psychological well-being literature and self-determination theory is then discussed. Subsequently, these psychological well-being concepts are translated into various practices that tourism leaders can apply to enhance the psychological well-being of workers in their organisations.