Page 14 - Winter 2018 Journal

Ski School

THE BREXIT IS COMING!

Great Britain’s Loss is the US Ski Industry’s Gain

BY COLIN BANE

The British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) There is tremendous uncertainty about what those opportu-
prepares for what Brexit may mean for its members, including nities will look like beyond 2019, but the general consensus
new opportunities for US ski areas to hire some of the world’s is that it’s about to become more costly and more inconve-
most qualified instructors. nient for British skiers and snowboarders to visit resorts else-
where in Europe, and more difficult for BASI members to
WHEN THE BRITISH Association of Snowsport Instructors continue to find seasonal work at European Union resorts.
(BASI) brings its booths to the NSAA Winter Shows in Tania Alliod, membership and marketing manager for
January, the pitch to NSAA members will be two-fold: First, BASI, says her organization is working to help its members
British skiers and snowboarders travel around the world continue to find international job placements, given the chang-
more than snowsports enthusiasts from any other country ing political landscape. Increasingly, that work has included
except Germany and present an enormous potential market helping BASI members navigate the byzantine United States
for US ski areas. And, relatedly, with the United Kingdom visa system. In recent years most BASI members hadn’t both-
set to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019—better ered with it, due to the easy ability to work throughout the EU.
known as “Brexit”—there may be profound changes ahead “One of BASI’s aims is to create quality working oppor-
in both the accessibility of European ski destinations for tunities for our members, and we will continue to do this
British tourists and the ability of BASI’s 6,300 members to in Europe and other markets,” Alliod said. “BASI is inter-
obtain visas to work at European resorts. ested in connecting with US resorts who may be interested
Both fronts could represent tremendous opportunity in employing BASI qualified instructors.”
for American ski areas, where demand for highly skilled The UK is still negotiating its withdrawal, so the full
instructors is as high as ever, says Andrew Lockerbie, CEO impact of Brexit isn’t fully known, Alliod emphasizes. She
of BASI. His organization, responsible for the training and points to Norway and Switzerland—two countries not in the
licensing of British snowsport instructors and coaches, is European Union that have nonetheless managed to maintain
working to negotiate post-Brexit visa agreements in Europe thriving ski industries and attract British snowsports enthu-
and has been expanding those efforts to include outreach to siasts—as a cause for optimism.
the United States. “If as a result of Brexit the working regulations and the
“We do have a home market, with five mountain resorts free movement of labour in Europe changes for instructors
in Scotland, six indoor snow domes, and over 70 artificial who are UK nationals, then any future visa requirements
ski slopes across the UK, but we also export a lot of instruc- that are imposed will have an impact on where British skiers
tors and currently have instructors working in 38 countries choose to ski and where instructors seek work, post-Brexit,”
across the world,” Lockerbie said. “The vast majority of our she said. “The impact may be significant, and there will be
instructors, even if they work part-time in the UK, are work- opportunities for the US market to attract both British con-
ing at international resorts, primarily in Europe.” sumers and BASI-qualified instructors if Europe becomes a
European Union countries with ski areas include more difficult destination for the British to access.”
Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Not surprisingly, BASI members were nearly uniformly
Germany, Iceland, Italy, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the opposed to Brexit before the referendum vote, with 81 per-
United Kingdom. While in the European Union, BASI cent in favor of remaining in the European Union, according
members, like all EU citizens, have been free to work and to a 2016 survey by the Basecamp Group prior to the June
travel throughout the EU without obtaining special visas. 2016 Brexit vote.

12 | NSAA JOURNAL | WINTER 2018