STA responds to announcement of new UK-points based immigration system

Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance said;

“The announcement of the UK government’s plans for a new points-based immigration system appears now to be the biggest threat to Scotland’s tourism industry.

This system will exacerbate the existing recruitment challenge the industry is already facing due to the current steady decline in international workforce retention and application and there not being a sufficient number of skilled workforce available to tap into, placing the sector, one of the most important economic drivers for Scotland in severe jeopardy.

These plans totally disregard the skill set and importance of those who work in the sector and go against what is needed in Scotland as a whole; a need for population growth which is why the STA in principle fully supports the Scottish Visa proposal recently announced by Scottish Government.

Scotland’s situation is unique; we have very fragile areas in our economy and it is more important than ever that we’re able to attract and retain people, particularly in the Highlands and Islands and other rural areas.  We need a differentiated system that is responsive to the specific needs of our tourism industry, our demography and our wider economy and sectors.  The impact of the UK Government’s new immigration plans will have a profound impact across local economies, particularly in rural areas.

We, along with many other sector groups representing Scotland’s business economy, believe that a bespoke Scottish Visa will address the urgent and distinctive need to drive population growth, not restrict it.”