More than 60 travel industry leaders have penned a letter to Nick Thomas-Symonds, Minister for the Cabinet Office, in an attempt to alleviate the cost and bureaucratic challenges facing businesses in the travel industry following the UK's exit from the EU. The letter appeals for the establishment of youth mobility arrangements between the UK and EU, which would significantly aid businesses looking to employ UK staff in the EU and vice versa.

Representatives from TUI, Jet2, DERTOUR UK, ABTA, Tourism Alliance, UK Hospitality, UKinbound, and SBiT are prominent signatories of the letter. According to these bodies, the lack of a streamlined operational process for employing UK staff abroad has resulted in a logistical nightmare for travel businesses since the UK's departure from the EU.

The fallout from Brexit has forced many outbound travel businesses to modify the holidays they offer or change their services due to difficulties in procuring the necessary UK staff. Similarly, inbound tourism has suffered from a lack of EU workers filling crucial roles in the UK. This issue is particularly pressing given that Europeans make more than 24 million visits to the UK annually, and businesses often require staff with foreign language skills to facilitate their trips.

According to ABTA and Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT) research, the number of overseas travel roles has plummeted by 69% since the UK's departure from the EU. As a result, travel companies have been forced to navigate disparate local employment rules in each country to secure staff overseas.

The letter from travel industry leaders aligns with reports that the Chancellor views the proposed scheme as a key component in supporting the UK's growth agenda. More than 70 Labour MPs and Peers have also expressed their support for a UK-EU youth mobility scheme.

Both ABTA and the Tourism Alliance argue that a youth mobility arrangement with the EU would be beneficial for the UK, potentially resulting in a 20% growth in inbound travel and a 15% growth in outbound travel by 2030. Furthermore, it would provide young people with valuable opportunities for skills development and career advancement.

The proposed youth mobility arrangement between the UK and the EU is seen as a crucial solution to the challenges faced by the travel industry post-Brexit. Travel industry leaders widely support the move, hoping it will facilitate growth, ease bureaucratic red tape, and provide rich opportunities for young people.