For anyone dreaming of running away to the Alps for a ski season, this news could be the best thing since fresh powder on your annual ski trip.

According to new polling from ABTA and SBiT (Seasonal Businesses in Travel), a whopping 76% of Brits support a youth experience deal with the EU, allowing young people to live, work, and study across borders again. Yes, even 61% of Leave voters are now in favour.

Which begs the question: could British seasonaires finally be heading back to the slopes in force?

Why It Matters: Work, Play and Powder Days

Since Brexit, it’s become significantly harder for young Brits to work in European ski resorts. The faff of visa paperwork, tight quotas, and the end of automatic right-to-work status has seen the number of UK nationals in ski season jobs drop by nearly 70%. That’s fewer chalet hosts, instructors, bar staff and lifties—fewer Brits living the dream on snow.

Charles Owen, founder of SBiT and a familiar face in the ski industry thanks to stewardship of Hotel Grangettes, Meribel and the legendary Jack’s Bar, has seen this impact first-hand. For years, Jack’s was a launchpad for UK seasonaires—a place where British staff could earn their stripes and party with purpose. But recently, those opportunities have dried up. A UK-EU mobility scheme could bring that magic back.

“The industry has been held back by the lack of mobility arrangements,” Owen says. “A UK-EU deal would be a partial fix. Ministers should get on and do the deal.”

The Seasonaire Experience Is More Than a Job

A ski season is a rite of passage. It’s where you learn to balance trays and ski moguls, how to wax a board and (hopefully) your upper lip. You’ll gain work ethic, resilience, and friends for life—plus a killer goggle tan.

Many British ski professionals, resort managers, and tour operators got their start doing seasons. ABTA notes that nearly half of outbound travel leaders began their careers this way. A return to EU-wide youth mobility could open the door for the next generation to do the same.

And it’s not just Meribel. Resorts like Morzine and Tignes have long relied on seasonal staff from the UK. From the après bars to ski schools, chalet kitchens to transfer companies, they depend on passionate, English-speaking workers. With staff shortages biting across the Alps, this scheme could be a lifeline for resorts—and a ticket to adventure for young Brits.

How It Would Work

The scheme would likely resemble those the UK already has with countries like Australia and Canada. In other words, young people (typically 18–30) would be allowed to live and work in participating EU countries for a limited period—usually a year or two. It’s the kind of simple, reciprocal agreement that brings real value on both sides.

And judging by the polling, the public wants it. More than two-thirds of Brits think a closer relationship with the EU would boost the economy. A youth mobility scheme is a practical, popular first step.

Final Turns

The youth mobility polling shows a clear appetite for re-opening borders to young adventurers. If the UK government acts fast, we could soon see a new generation of seasonaires lighting up Meribel’s dance floors, gliding down Tignes’ glacier, and slinging vin chaud in Morzine.

Let’s hope they do the deal before the next winter rolls in. After all, nothing builds character quite like digging out a buried chalet hot tub at 6am.