According to recent data, only 3,700 Brits are employed in the EU in positions like chalet hosts, travel agents, and tour guide

Is this the end for British chalet hosts?

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)



According to recent data, there are now significantly fewer UK citizens doing seasonal jobs in the EU as a result of Brexit.

According to travel industry associations, only 3,700 Britons are working in the bloc in jobs like chalet hosts, vacation representatives, and tour guides, a 69% decrease from the 11,970 workers saw in 2017.

Employing UK workers in well-known EU locations including Spain, France, Greece, Italy, and Austria has long been a crucial aspect of UK travel agencies' international operations.

The process is being slowed down, according to Abta and Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBit), which revealed the employment statistics, by complicated documentation, additional expenses, and a lack of agreements. Before the Brexit transition period ended on December 31, 2020, UK citizens had full rights to live and work anywhere in the rest of the EU.

According to Abta and SBit, since the UK left the EU, hiring a single UK employee in France now costs travel agencies an additional £880, while there are few viable entry points for UK personnel in many other member nations.
According to a study of 127 UK travel agencies who provide vacations in the EU, 61% of respondents say the problem is their top concern and could limit their expansion over the next five years.

Abta and SBit urged the UK and EU governments to include EU nations in the Youth Mobility Scheme, which would let young people work there for up to two years without the need to apply automatically for a longer stay.
Similar agreements already exist between the UK and nations including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

The travel industry also demanded an improved UK-EU seasonal mobility agreement for tourism employees because the present policies only apply to specific occupations and have a 90-day stay limit.