Brexit uncertainty sees UK skiers reconsider trips to European resorts

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/news/brexit-drives-skiers-to-consider-holidaying-outside-the-eu/

Well I started skiing before we joined the EU and we never had any trouble going anywhere on the continent and didn't need need a visa to go to Yugoslavia which was then (semi) communist..Its all scaremongering!

Indeed, it shouldn't affect travel too much. More likely to affect the current British business model of cheap chalet staff... and possibly cost of flights.

More likely to affect the current British business model of cheap chalet staff

Already happening with Esprit. Exactly the same holiday in Peisey next January for me, my wife and 2 kids (2 and 6) is about 30% more expensive than 2 years ago. The chalet/package thing works for us at the moment but once both kids are older/more independent skiers we'll be reviewing our options!

A lot of companies have reduced chalet options. They will be paying their staff local minimum wages / and adhering to work hours and conditions for the first time. So costs will go up.

Volf wrote:A lot of companies have reduced chalet options. They will be paying their staff local minimum wages / and adhering to work hours and conditions for the first time. So costs will go up.

As I understand it this is correct but it is a European directive forcing companies to change practices to improve worker rights, it is not connected to Brexit and is happening this winter regardless of Brexit. The same laws decimated chalet holidays in Switzerland at the "more affordable end" a few years ago. Brexit comes on top of that impact on costs.

True, the directive has been in place for a while and studiously ignored by British companies. Brexit, may however, be one of the reasons that the French authorities have chosen now to take a stronger stance, as Switzerland did a few years back. I work in Montgenevre; and Nielson, Inghams and Crystal have all pulled out of catered chalets this season.

The current problems facing the catered chalet operators in France stem from the revision of the Posted Workers Directive 96/71/EC which originally came into force in 1996. The revised directive seeks to ensure parity in wages and working conditions between posted and local workers. The original directive wasn't enforced that well, the enforcement of the revised directive will be much stricter and there will be larger fines.

The employees must also fulfil certain conditions, the directive is intended to facilitate the sending of existing employees to carry out work in other EEA countries and Switzerland, the UK TOs recruit people solely for the purpose of working during the ski season. One of the conditions to be fulfilled by the employees is "To not have been recruited for the sole purpose of being sent to France" https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/droit-du-travail/detachement-des-salaries/posting-of-employees

After Brexit when the UK becomes what the EU terms a 3rd country things will become even more difficult. The chalet companies will probably have to set up companies in France and obtain seasonal work permits for their employees. The procedures for doing this are to be found at the EU immigration portal https://ec.europa.eu/immigration/ Because of the all the extra costs involved it's difficult to see how a lot of the operators, especially those at the budget end of the market will be able to survive.

UK ski instructor qualifications will also cease to be recognised, fully qualified instructors who are already established in the EU should be OK, but trainees and newly qualified instructors probably won't be allowed to work there. There may also be issues with the recognition of transfer bus driver's licences.