Hospitality businesses to make new recruitment pledges at second BHA Summit
The summit, which will once again be hosted at the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel, will feature a line-up of speakers and guests including senior Government ministers and industry leaders.
James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland; Stephen McCall, UK & Ireland managing director of InterContinental Hotels Group and Andrew Tyler, national head of leisure at RBS Commercial Banking, recently met with a number of other industry figures to discuss the key issues which will be raised at the event.
Economic potential
Last year's inaugural summit, which saw the launch of The Big Conversation jobs initiative, focused on the importance of the industry to growth in the UK economy.
"In 2012, we started out on our journey towards greater recognition and growth. Ours is already a leading UK industry demonstrating huge economic potential," said Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the BHA.
"We must aim further - to be recognised as a major competitor in the global marketplace. 2013 will be the time to start actively realising our ambitions, and crucial to our on-going success is the need to invest in our best resource, our young people."
During the summit, industry leaders will present Government with pledges to create new training vacancies and apprenticeships within their businesses.
"We are asking hospitality and tourism businesses from across the UK to join us at the Hospitality and Tourism Summit on 11 June 2013 to make a pledge to attract young people into hospitality, increase youth employment and reduce our skill shortages," added Ibrahim.
Collective action
Last year's event attracted over 400 delegates and international speakers including former Tourism Minister John Penrose, Taleb Rifai from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and some of the UK's leading hospitality operators.
In June, this year's event, organised by the BHA and Bench Events, will be sponsored by InterContinental Hotels Group, DLA Piper and Nestlé Professional.
Jonathan Worsley, chairman of Bench Events, said: "To have so many high profile speakers and delegates at our launch event in 2012 shows that the industry is supporting BHA’s initiative for collective action and recognition from all stakeholders that hospitality and tourism is an engine for growth, employment and prosperity."
The BHA, which represents more than 40,000 establishments, estimates the industry is the UK's fifth largest employer and currently employs 3.64m people directly and indirectly.
