Migrant relationships and tourism employment

This paper examines how tourism employment and workplace experiences influence migrant workers’ adaptation in the host society. It is argued that tourism employment provides access to multiple social networks, which subsequently supports the improvement of foreign workers’ social and cultural competencies. Such networks also help to compensate for the negative aspects of tourism work and migration. In addition, the paper considers how relationships among international workers inform chain migration and influence subsequent recruitment practices and migration experiences. The findings stem from a wider study of the experiences of Polish migrant workers employed in the UK tourism sector using qualitative and quantitative data.

► The paper considers various relationships developed between migrants and others.
► Multiple relationships are formed through and mediated by tourism employment.
► It examines how relationships influence adaptation to the host culture.
► Tourism employment is key to improving migrants’ social and cultural competencies.
► Relationships inform chain migration, recruitment and migration experiences.