The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and the Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT) have presented new research that records strong support for citizens to conclude an agreement with the European Union on youth mobility.
According to the YouGov poll on behalf of ABTA, 76% of Britons are in favor of an agreement that would allow young people to work, live and study temporarily in EU countries. In fact, even 61% of those who voted for Brexit in 2016 say they support such an initiative.
ABTA points out that almost half of UK travel industry leaders have worked in similar roles abroad early in their careers, and the industry contributes more than £52bn a year to the country’s GDP. However, since the 2016 referendum, opportunities for young Britons have shrunk dramatically, with the number of people working in support roles in tourism – such as travel agents – falling by 69%.
At the same time, 66% of those surveyed believe that a closer relationship with the EU would boost the UK economy, while 57% are in favour of closer ties overall, compared to just 12% who want more distance.
ABTA’s director of public affairs, Luke Petherbridge, said:
“Leaving the EU has significantly changed the travel experience – from queues at borders to the difficulty of companies recruiting British workers in Europe. In May we saw a positive EU-UK deal. Now we need to move forward, with restoring opportunities for young people as a priority.”
Charles Owen, chief executive of SBiT, called on the government to act immediately:
“The lack of mobility has paralyzed the industry. An agreed EU-UK framework would be a real solution.”
The poll was conducted on 25-26 August among 2,224 adults in Britain.
