Travel bosses urge Government to secure UK-EU youth mobility scheme

Over 60 travel industry leaders have written to Nick Thomas-Symonds, Minister for the Cabinet Office, encouraging him to pursue youth mobility arrangements between the UK and EU as part of talks to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Travel bosses argue it would help to remove some of the cost and red tape on businesses who are looking to employ UK staff in the EU, and vice versa, and would reopen the industry’s talent pipeline.

Signatories to the letter include TUI, Jet2, DERTOUR UK, ABTA, Tourism Alliance, UK Hospitality, UKinbound and SBiT (see end for full list of organisations).

ABTA and Tourism Alliance – the two trade bodies behind the letter – say employing UK staff abroad has been an operational and expensive nightmare for travel businesses since the UK left the EU.

Many outbound travel businesses have had to alter the holidays they sell to customers or change the service they provide, because they aren’t able to get the UK staff they need.

Similarly, inbound tourism has struggled to get EU workers filling important roles in the UK. Europeans make more 24 million visits a year to the UK1, and businesses are often reliant on staff with foreign language skills to facilities their trips.

Travel and tourism is a huge economic and employment contributor to the UK economy – worth more than £165bn in annual GVA and supporting more than 3 million jobs right across the country2.

Prior to the UK leaving the EU, it was much easier for UK staff to work in destinations as ski chalet hosts, resort reps and tour guides. Research by ABTA and Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT) shows overseas travel roles have fallen by 69% since the UK’s departure from the EU3, and travel companies have had to navigate local employment rules in each country, where they exist, to try to get staff overseas.

The letter from travel industry leaders follows reports that the Chancellor sees the scheme as supporting the UK’s growth agenda, and more than Labour 70 MPs and Peers wrote to the Government to express their support for a UK-EU youth mobility scheme.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“A youth mobility arrangement with the EU would be a win-win for the UK.

“A Government focused on driving growth needs to pull those levers that will make it happen – a youth mobility deal is one of them. ABTA research shows international travel to and from the UK could be set to grow strongly in the coming years – with the potential for inbound to grow by 20% and outbound by 15% by 20304.

“It also means we’re offering important opportunities for young people – skills and experiences that can help start and define their careers.”

Richard Toomer, Executive Director of the Tourism Alliance said:

“Youth mobility gives young people valuable opportunity to travel and experience life in other countries and cultures. Allowing EU and UK residents to take advantage of this scheme would be enormously welcomed by many who will go on to have fulfilling careers in travel and tourism, but also in many cases a life-long appreciation and affection for their host country.

“Concluding a YMS deal with the EU should just be one part of a broader move to break down some of the unnecessary barriers to travel that have gone up since Brexit. Sadly, travelling between the two jurisdictions has become more costly, bureaucratic and time-consuming. An EU-UK reset should aim to tackle that too.”

 

For further information, contact:

press@abta.co.uk or 0203 117 0596

Out of Hours: contact the duty press officer 020 3693 0183

Web: www.abta.com

Notes to editors

 

List of organisations who are signatories on the letter

 

1.     ABTA

2.     Tourism Alliance

3.     Active Travel Group,

4.     AliKats Mountain Holidays

5.     Alpes Adventures Ltd

6.     Alpine Elements (iGOSKI)

7.     Association for Events Management Education

8.     Association of Professional Tourist Guides

9.     Bed and Breakfast Association

10.  Black Diamond Lodge

11.  British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums

12.  British Beer and Pub Association & Chair of the Tourism Alliance

13.  British Destinations

14.  British Educational Travel Association

15.  British Guild of Tourist Guides

16.  Caravan and Motorhome Club

17.  Chester Hospitality Association

18.  Chester Zoo

19.  Consensio Chalets

 

20.  DERTOUR UK

21.  Destination Cheshire

22.  Destination Plymouth

23.  The Driver Guides Association

24.  English UK

25.  Equity – The School Travel People

26.  F&P Travel

27.  Family Ski Ltd

28.  Federation of Passenger Transport

29.  GIC The Villa Collection

30.  GoToPlaces (Visit Kent/Visit Herts)

31.  Host Savoie Ltd

32.  Inghams and Santa’s Lapland

33.  Institute of Tourist Guiding

34.  Jelly and Ice Cream

35.  Jet2.com & Jet2holidays

36.  Kaluma Ski and The Luxury Chalet Club

37.  Le Ski Ltd

38.  More Mountain

39.  Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance

40.  Orchards Cookery Ltd

41.  Planet Holidays

42.  Première Neige Ski Holidays

43.  SARL Reach4thealps

44.  School Travel Organiser & Group Leisure & Travel

 

45.  Schools in Europe

46.  Seasonal Business in Travel

47.  Simply Morzine

48.  Ski Elements Ltd

49.  Snowcoach Ltd & Mountain Lodge Hotels Ltd

50.  Ski-Dazzle Ltd

51.  Skiworld Ltd

52.  Sunvil Holidays

53.  The Alpine Generation Ltd

54.  Premier Cottages

55.  The School Travel Forum

56.  The Scottish Tourism Alliance

57.  Tourism Society

58.  Tourism South East

59.  TUI UK & Ireland

60.  UKEVENTS

61.  UKHospitality

62.  UKinbound

63.  Visit Peak District and Derbyshire

64.  Visit West

65.  Wales Tourism Alliance

66.  YHA

67.  YSE Ltd

 

1 https://www.visitbritain.org/research-insights/inbound-visits-and-spend-annual-uk

2&4ABTA/York Aviation, The Economic Value of Travel and Tourism to the UK Economy in 2023  International Travel: Powering the UK economy | ABTA

3Unlocking Travel’s Potential https://www.abta.com/industry-zone/reports-and-publications/unlocking-travels-potential-importance-uk-eu-mobility-jobs

About ABTA

ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 4,300 travel brands in membership who have a combined annual UK turnover of over £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.

Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. When you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind.

All this together means we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com

About Tourism Alliance

The Tourism Alliance is the umbrella trade association for the tourism industry. Our 75+ members are trade associations and member associations representing parts of the diverse and disparate tourism eco-system along with and destination management organisations across England.

Published: 2 May 2025

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