Tourism and hospitality activity in the Ribble Valley and work to stabilise the constantly-changing visitor economy following Brexit and the pandemic is being discussed by borough councillors this week.

Hospitality industry blames Brexit for lack of available workers.

Several industries and businesses across the county say they are struggling to recruit following the government's new immigration rules.

Lilliput Services in Belfast is one of the unsung companies without which the UK's hotel industry could not exist.

It reported that in 2021 business was hit by Covid and Brexit, which damaged consumer confidence, global supply chains, and inflation. And it stressed: “Our outlook for 2023 remains challenging.”

A SCOTTISH hotelier has flagged fears in the sector over a fall in visitors from mainland Europe during the crucial summer period – blaming Brexit uncertainty.

More than 100 homes could replace a sprawling rural hostel after owners blamed Brexit for a dramatic fall-off in Eastern European workers coming to the Fens.

Alf Young, the distinguished Scottish business and economics journalist, writer and broadcaster, is to chair a workshop on 21 October looking at the challenges Scotland’s hospitality and culture sectors face in the wake of Brexit.

"Overseas workers visas is something we need to be looking at. There's over 200,000 vacancies within hospitality up and down the country."

Britain’s top hotels are suffering from bartender shortages, with many leaving the industry or moving to new projects.

UKHospitality estimates that shortages are suppressing economic activity in hospitality alone by £22bn - with the pandemic hangover and Brexit adding to an existing problem of finding skilled - and even unskilled - staff.

No matter how much the UK Government tries to make a virtue of Brexit, the decision to quit the European Union and so curb the freedom of people from the bloc to live and work on these shores continues to haunt one of Scotland’s most important industries.