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:
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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