The UK government recognises Brexit will present an “acute” challenge to hospitality, Britain’s tourism minister Michael Ellis said this week.
Addressing the UKHospitality conference in London, Ellis said: “You are one of the largest employers in the country. You are one of the fastest generators of jobs.
“The travel and hospitality sector is a boon to the economy, it provides large-scale employment and it helps Britain’s ‘soft power’. There is not another UK sector that delivers this all-round package.”
Ellis insisted: “I applaud what you do. I’m proud to be your advocate across government. The hospitality agenda is absolutely essential to my role as tourism minister.”
He acknowledged: “This is a pivotal time for the sector. The workforce challenges of Brexit will be most acute for hospitality.”
But he promised: “We will be taking steps to give as much certainty as possible. The [EU] withdrawal agreement guarantees the right of EU citizens living in the UK.
“We have agreed that during the [Brexit] implementation period EU citizens will be able to come to live, work and study here as they do now.
“We have also promised a streamlined scheme for EU citizens to make their [UK] status permanent.”
Ellis told the conference: “You are delivering record-breaking results. Last year was yet another record-breaking year for tourism and the numbers are only likely to improve.”
However, he said: “There is a widespread perception that hospitality is not a long-term career [and] we need to disabuse young people of that.
“Investment in the workforce will be one of the most important ways to drive a change in perception.”
Ellis, MP for Northampton North, was appointed minister for tourism in January.
UKHospitality was formed by the merger of the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) in March this year.