The Westminster Government must reconsider its plans on immigration to avert the devastating impact which will be borne by the hospitality sector if introduced.
With nearly 15% of EU nationals currently working in the tourism sector in Scotland and with projected future job vacancies in the sector of 112,000 by 2029, this recent announcement will have dire consequences for the industry.
With research into Scotland’s tourism and hospitality businesses highlighting that 50% of businesses reported that EU workers made up 50% of their workforce and 70% of accommodation providers relied on EU workers, due to a limited domestic labour market with the necessary skills, any system introduced has to be flexible and based on the skills and needs for industry on a sector and country/regional basis.
This recent development only strengthens the call for a “Scottish Visa” to be introduced to address the needs of the tourism industry and other industry sectors in Scotland.