Why Young Britons are Struggling to Work in the EU Travel industry
The UK travel industry, which contributes £49bn annually to the UK economy, has been hit by a sharp reduction in opportunities for young Britons to work in Europe since Brexit. According to a survey of 100 industry executives, the number of Britons working in the EU’s front-line roles, such as travel reps, ski guides, or chalet guests, has dropped by more than two-thirds. The research indicates that the cost of obtaining visas, work permits, and other documents since Brexit is to blame for the decline, creating a challenge for young Britons hoping to work as ‘seasonal workers’ in Europe.
The EU-UK trade deal stipulates that Britons can travel to the EU for 90 days in any 180-day period but need permits and visas to work on a seasonal basis. However, before Brexit, Britons could work in the EU on contracts issued by the UK-based companies. The reduction in travel workers in the EU from 11,970 in 2017 to 3,700 in 2023 has hit young people, aged between 18 and 24, the hardest. The number of catered holidays offered in France by UK holiday companies has decreased by more than half since 2017, with the number of employed people in the French Alps during the winter falling by more than 70 percent.
Why Brexit is a Challenge for the EU Travel Industry
The travel industry is urging the government to enter into a youth mobility scheme with the EU, similar to the UK’s with countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, to allow young people aged 18-30 to live and work in the EU for up to two years. Sarah Searson, chief executive of Skiworld, an independent operator of UK ski tours, pointed out that the visa quota system has made it impossible to hire British workers in countries like Austria, where only EU passport holders can be hired, of which there is no ready supply. As a result, they have had to give up more than two-thirds of their unique chalet bedding.
The industry’s worst predictions about the Brexit impact have been confirmed by the survey. Charles Owen, chief executive of Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT), co-author of the report, pointed out that diminishing opportunities for young Britons would have long-term consequences, with 75 percent of companies expecting Brexit to hit their business harder than COVID-19. Giles Hawke, chief executive of Cosmos, a UK independent tour operator, told researchers his career began with nine years of work in France, Austria and Switzerland, where he gained industry experience. He also stated that without this access to first-line learning and the breadth of skills and knowledge it offers, there is a real risk that the travel leaders of the future will struggle to have the full experience and skills necessary.
Improving Visa and Youth Mobility Arrangements Post Brexit
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta, who co-authored the research, has urged the government to work with the EU to improve visa and youth mobility arrangements and to put the right mobility arrangements in place with the EU as it could have a cost to UK plc. Given that UK tourism contributes €40bn every year to the EU, it is in the interest of both the UK and the EU to provide a policy framework that would enable travel and tourism between the UK and the EU to thrive.
While Brexit has created many hurdles for the UK travel industry, there is still hope for the future. With the right the mobility arrangements in place following Brexit, the industry may be able to recover some of its former losses. The government must be proactive in their policies to ensure that the UK travel industry can continue to thrive in the post-Brexit world.
Summary
Brexit is making it harder for Britons to work in the EU’s travel industry, with the number of Britons working in front-line roles such as travel reps, ski guides, or chalet guests dropping by more than two-thirds. The cost of obtaining visas, work permits, and other documents post-Brexit has been blamed for reducing opportunities, which has particularly affected young Britons hoping to work as seasonal workers in Europe. Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta, who co-authored the research, has urged the government to work with the EU to improve visa and youth mobility arrangements. Charles Owen, chief executive of Seasonal Businesses in Travel, co-author of the report, pointed out that 75% of travel companies expect Brexit to hit their business harder than Covid-19.
Additional Piece
The decline in opportunities for young Britons to work in the EU’s travel industry since Brexit is not only causing significant harm to the UK economy but also harming the personal and professional development of young people. According to a report by TurboTenant, 44% of UK millennials view work travel opportunities as highly important, with 71% reporting that it positively influences career development.
Brexit has not only made it tough for Britons to work in the EU travel industry but has also created new challenges for those who want to study abroad. According to a report by The Guardian, British students hoping to study in European universities have been charged higher tuition rates, denied student loans and grants, and have had academic qualifications unrecognized since Brexit. British academics have lost teaching and research opportunities, while students who intended to participate in the Erasmus+ programme, which enables university students to study and work in other EU countries, are facing added hurdles. In short, Brexit is moving higher education away from the cosmopolitan vision shared by universities and rendering those who are impacted, especially the young, increasingly isolated.
It is also worth noting that Brexit risks the future of the UK’s tourism and travel industry, which would have devastating consequences for the country’s economy, especially since it has been pummeled by Covid-19. According to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel and tourism industry supported 4.2 million jobs in the UK and made a £200bn contribution to the economy in 2019. The industry grew by 4.6% in 2019, outpacing the global growth rate of 3.5%. The WTTC also suggests that if Brexit leads to greater trade barriers and bureaucratic hurdles, combined with the uncertainty caused by Covid-19, the UK’s world-class travel industry could suffer heavily.
Conclusion
The travel industry is a crucial sector for the UK economy, representing one of the country’s most important opportunities to retain young talents, boost productivity, and generate growth. However, Brexit is making it harder for Britons to work and study in the EU, which could have long-term consequences. The UK government must work towards enhancing visa and mobility arrangements with the EU to ensure that the country’s travel and tourism industry thrives even after Brexit. Brexit has upset many plans but has also provided an opportunity for the UK to look beyond its traditional markets and educate its youth to be global citizens.
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The number of Britons working in the EU’s travel industry in front-line roles such as travel reps, ski guides or chalet guests has dropped by more than two-thirds since Brexit, according to new research.
The cost of obtaining visas, work permits and other documents after Brexit has been blamed for a sharp reduction in opportunities which has particularly affected young Britons hoping to work as ‘seasonal workers’ in Europe, the survey of 100 industry executives found.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of trade body Abta, who co-authored the research, urged the government to work with the EU to improve visa and youth mobility arrangements that have been limited after the UK left the EU in 2021.
“With the UK outbound travel industry contributing £49bn annually to the UK economy and a major growth driver, not putting the right mobility arrangements in place with the EU could have a cost to UK plc,” he said.
Under the EU-UK trade deal, Britons can travel to the EU for 90 days in any 180-day period, but need permits and visas for seasonal travel work. Before Brexit, these roles were open to Britons who could work in the EU on contracts issued by UK-based companies.
Charles Owen, chief executive of Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT), which co-commissioned the report, said the findings confirmed the industry’s worst predictions about the impact of Brexit.
The industry is urging the government to agree to a youth mobility scheme with the EU, similar to one the UK has with countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand that allows young people aged 18-30 to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
“It is in the interest of both the UK and the EU to provide a policy framework that allows travel and tourism between the UK and the EU to thrive, given the €40bn contribution that UK tourism makes to the EU every year,” added Owen.
The survey found that UK travel workers in the EU fell by nearly two-thirds, from 11,970 in 2017 – the last full year unaffected by the 2016 Brexit vote – to 3,700 in 2023, with young people from aged between 18 and 24 who showed the highest fall score.
With the cost of obtaining permits for a UK worker in France averaging £880, the number of catered holidays offered in France by UK holiday companies has more than halved since 2017. The number of employed people in the French Alps during the winter has decreased by more than 70 percent.
In some countries, such as Austria, it has proved impossible to hire British workers due to the visa quota system, added Sarah Searson, chief executive of Skiworld, an independent operator of UK ski tours.
“[That] it means that we can only employ EU passport holders there, of which there is no certain or ready supply. As a result, we have had to give up more than two-thirds of our unique chalet bedding,” he said in the report.
Other travel bosses have warned that diminishing opportunities for young Britons to work in the EU would have long-term consequences for the sector, with 75% of companies expecting Brexit to hit their business harder than Covid-19 .
Giles Hawke, chief executive of Cosmos, a UK independent tour operator, told researchers his career began with nine years of work in France, Austria and Switzerland, where he gained industry experience.
“Without this access to first-line learning and the breadth of skills it offers, there is a real risk that the travel leaders of the future will struggle to have the full experience and breadth of skills and knowledge needed,” he said. stated.
The Foreign Office did not immediately return a request for comment.
https://www.ft.com/content/f930a3f4-804a-417c-8e8e-3b99a76e244b
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