Travel Industry News

As of March 2025, the landscape of international recruitment in travel and tourism is being dramatically reshaped by significant visa legislation changes and evolving language requirements across multiple countries. From the UK's new Electronic Travel Authorisation system and increased salary thresholds for skilled workers to France's stricter language proficiency standards and Portugal's simplified processes for Portuguese-speaking nationals, these changes require travel industry employers to adapt quickly. Multilingual capabilities are increasingly becoming not just a valuable asset but a legal requirement in many immigration pathways, directly affecting talent acquisition strategies. Understanding these complex and often country-specific changes is essential for travel and tourism recruiters looking to access international talent pools while ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. The UK continues to implement significant changes to its immigration system that directly impact the travel and tourism sector's ability to recruit internationally. From April 2025, Europeans will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the UK, joining non-Europeans who already require this digital permission. The ETA costs £10 and permits multiple journeys for up to six months at a time over a two-year period or until the holder's passport expires, whichever comes first.

As I sit here reflecting on the UK's inbound tourism landscape for 2025, I can't help but feel a surge of optimism. Having spent over two decades in travel recruitment, I've witnessed the industry's resilience time and again. VisitBritain's forecast of 43.4 million visits – a 5% increase from 2024's anticipated 41.2 million – isn't just a statistic; it represents millions of personal journeys, cultural exchanges, and opportunities for our incredible tourism professionals.

Last Tuesday evening, 25th February 2025, I had the privilege of attending the Association of Women Travel Executives' (AWTE) 70th Anniversary Celebratory Drinks Reception at the elegant 1 Lombard Street in London. As the founder of Antella Recruitment, I've always been passionate about supporting women in the travel industry, through my mentoring work Women in Travel Thrive and Women in Travel CIC. Walking into the venue, I was immediately struck by the palpable energy in the room. The space was filled with trailblazers, innovators, and leaders who have shaped our industry over seven decades. Some faces I recognised immediately – women whose careers I've followed and admired from afar – while others I was meeting for the first time, each with their own remarkable story to tell.

Passenger numbers reached 63.1 million in the first nine months of 2024, showing a 6.2% increase from the previous year. The summer period was particularly impressive, with the airport handling an unprecedented 30.7 million passengers between June and September.