BHA warns of Brexit jobs crisis
A report commissioned by the British Hospitality Association says hospitality and tourism faces a recruitment crisis without future EU migration
The KPMG report says it faces a shortfall of 60,000 workers every year if EU immigration is too tightly controlled, and that’s in addition to the ongoing recruitment of 200,000 workers required to replace churn and to power growth.
It says up to 24% of the sector’s workforce is made up of EU migrants and the labour shortfall 10 years after Brexit would be 1 million if EU migration fell to zero from 2019.
The BHA published the report as it sent the Government an draft 10-year strategy for recruiting a substantially higher proportion of its workforce from the UK.
But it stresses that it will need continued, but declining, access to the EU workforce over that time.
The strategy focuses on three main sections of the populations – the unemployed, returners to the labour market such as older people, and the next generation.
Plans include using Premier League clubs as centres for running job fairs under the name The Big Hospitality Conversation. These have already been held successfully at stadiums, including Liverpool’s Anfield stadium and Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.
BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim said: "It is clear from the KPMG report that hospitality and tourism face major problems in recruitment if there is any major cut in the number of workers allowed to enter from the EU.
"We want to avoid there being any cliff edge but the Government must be aware that in the medium to long term we will still need considerable numbers of EU workers, who have contributed so much to our industry and the UK economy in general.
"We have submitted our strategy to Number 10 Downing Street because we are aware of our responsibility to encourage more UK nationals to see the career opportunities available in hospitality and tourism.
"We do need the Government to play their part too, by recognising our employment needs and recognising how important this industry, the fourth largest, is to the country. We also look forward to working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education to implement our strategy as well as the Business Department."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025