New research shows strong public backing for EU youth mobility deal
New research shows strong public backing for EU youth mobility deal
Published : 27-Aug-2025 05:30
A YouGov survey commissioned by ABTA found that 76% of UK adults back a deal with the EU that would allow young people to live, work and study abroad temporarily, including for ski seasons.
ABTA and Seasonal Businesses in Travel (SBiT) are urging the UK Government to accelerate talks with the EU on youth mobility, following the poll results, which showed support was broad-based, with 61% of Leave voters also in favour.
The associations say such a deal is vital for the UK's outbound travel industry, which contributes more than £52 billion to the UK economy.
Earlier ABTA and SBiT research found that over a third of all travel workers – and nearly half of industry leaders – began their careers in seasonal roles.
However, opportunities have sharply declined since Brexit – with the number of UK nationals in employed in positions such as travel reps dropping by 69%.
Beyond mobility, the survey also highlighted broader public support for closer UK-EU relations. 66% believe closer ties would benefit the UK economy and 57% support closer relations overall, compared with just 12% who want more distance.
Luke Petherbridge, ABTA's Director of Public Affairs, said:
"Travel is one of the most visible areas impacted by the UK's departure from the EU – from longer passport queues to challenges in staffing. We welcomed May's UK-EU agreement, but now we need to see progress – particularly on restoring opportunities for young people to work in Europe."
Charles Owen, Managing Director at SBiT, added:
"The lack of mobility arrangements has held the industry back. While some temporary fixes exist, they're fragmented and unreliable. A UK-EU youth mobility agreement would be a meaningful step forward, and we urge ministers to act now."
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