The British Hospitality Association (BHA) plans to merge with the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) to give the sector a “vital voice” when lobbying government.
The merger will create a new body, UKHospitality, representing the UK’s third largest private sector employer which generates £130 billion in annual revenue.
The proposed organisation will be voted on by members of both associations at extraordinary general meetings on February 21.
Representing 700 operators across 65,000 sites, UKHospitality will be led by current ALMR chief executive Kate Nicholls.
It is not clear whether BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim will remain with the new organisation. Current BHA chair and Merlin Entertainments chief executive Nick Varney will chair UKHospitality.
Nicholls, proposed chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “This sector is…one of our fastest growing, most productive industries and last year it delivered one in eight of all new jobs.
“Faced with unprecedented political and regulatory pressures, now more than ever it requires the strongest and most effective voice to government.
“UKHospitality will be that vital voice.”
Nick Varney, proposed chair of UKHospitality, added: “Hospitality is a prosperous and vibrant sector with great potential for further growth if the right policies are in place. We are calling for a new ministerial champion and sector deal enabling the hospitality sector to invest in world-class careers and customer experiences.”
Travel Weekly sister publication The Caterer reported the merger developed out of the joint work undertaken by the BHA and ALMR on Brexit and the National Living Wage after influential members grew frustrated that the sector’s concerns weren’t being heard at the highest levels of government.
Nicholls told The Caterer: “We reached out to work collaboratively and collectively on issues of common ground. That went so well that the boards asked us to look at how we could formalise that and broaden it. The logical extension of that was to merge.”
An advisory council to UKHospitality, chaired by Steve Richards, current chair of the ALMR and chief executive of Casual Dining Group, will be established to bring together elected members of each current organisation.
The ALMR represents the eating and drinking out sector, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, while the BHA members include hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions.