Hyatt warns of tough time for sector if worker access limited
LUXURY HOTEL group Hyatt has warned “life could become very difficult” for the UK hospitality industry after Brexit if access to foreign workers is restricted.
Peter Fulton, the firm’s Europe chief, has urged the Government to ensure the sector can still draw on a depth of overseas talent, warning the number of British people working in London’s restaurants and hotels was “relatively small”.
Speaking at The Churchill Hotel in London, which employs staff from 40 different countries, Mr Fulton added: “When I go and dine out in London, how many British people are actually working in the hospitality industry in London, it is relatively small.
“I think the labour situation in the case of Brexit needs to be studied very carefully. I think life could become very difficult for the industry if the whole situation is not looked at.
“This is one industry around the world that drives a lot business.
“Whether you are staying in hotels, or going to see Buckingham Palace, that whole combined industry is important.”
He said the Government needed to deliver “a thorough review of what (Brexit) actually means for the industry”.
The Government plans to head off recruitment woes for the hospitality industry with a new ‘barista visa’ allowing young European citizens to continue coming to the UK to work in coffee shops and pubs.
Hyatt saw net income jump 64.5 per cent to 204m US dollars (£158m) for 2016.