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This viewpoint paper aims to assess a curriculum response within a specific vocational sector, hospitality, driven by the recent surge in intra EU labour migration and the ensuing increase in workplace cultural diversity.

The paper identifies an appropriate curriculum response by assessing the industry implications and proffering a conceptual model of curriculum response.

The experience across business sectors, such as hospitality, emphasises the need for training that is geared to meet the needs of both international and indigenous employees and that, critically, intercultural issues represent a significant training gap. It is posited that the curriculum response is multifaceted embracing the need to address course content, learning outcomes, assessment methods and the training needs of educators.

The paper is targeted at academics within applied business education, specifically in those areas of the services sector that have experienced significant labour migration in recent years. It is also of wider value to those involved in curricula design in a vocational context.

The purpose of this paper is to address the growing importance of migrant workers to the hospitality industry of peripheral locations in the UK.

The paper draws on data collected through in‐depth surveys of and focus group discussions with migrant workers in hotels in three peripheral locations in the UK.

Findings point to varied experiences for international workers in terms of recruitment and selection of international workers; their work‐related and social integration within the workforce and the wider community; aspirations for training and development among international employees; insights into the futures that migrant workers see for themselves; and their overall experience of living and working in the UK.

The study is located in three regions of the UK and each study is of relatively small scale. This is a potential limitation but compensation is afforded by the depth of information collected in each location.

The study suggests that employers are unwilling to invest in the development of international staff who have high levels of general education and training that is not sector specific. Promotion opportunities are seen to be limited. The paper points to the need for hospitality management to make more effective use of this source of labour.

This paper is the first to undertake a study of the migrant worker experience in peripheral areas of the UK and to focus on a diverse skills sector such as hospitality.

This paper aims to explore the opportunities and challenges faced by hospitality employers in accommodating a culturally diverse workforce in Northern Ireland.

This is an exploratory paper based on interviews with hospitality employers in Northern Ireland. It seeks to answer the question “What opportunities and challenges does a culturally diverse workforce create for hoteliers in Northern Ireland?”.

This research highlights the potential of international workers as an invaluable new source of labour for the hospitality industry, provided that they are properly looked after and managed.

Future research could analyse the role of multicultural management in assuring business benefits associated with cultural diversity.

The research suggests the importance of a positive proactive management system and solutions for training that could be incorporated into the workplace that celebrates its employee's cultures, that values and explores differences and that actively seeks to learn from other cultures, demonstrates tolerance, respects differences, identifies similarities and strives for inclusiveness. Training solutions are provided.

This study suggests the removal of barriers to the successful integration of international staff into the workplace and society, while benefiting all staff, their organisations and the Irish tourism product.

This paper reflects on the recent introduction of a statutory smoking ban in workplaces in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). The aim of the research is to identify the arguments for and against statutory smoking bans and to explore the impact of such legislation on hospitality organisations.

In addition to the literature review, which examines evidence from other jurisdictions that have introduced smoking bans, the primary research is based on semi‐structured interviews with the managers of licensed premises in both the ROI and Northern Ireland.

Qualitative data based on the recent introduction of a smoking ban in the ROI indicate that, although the industry's concerns are understandable, hospitality businesses and their customers are adapting to the statutory smoking ban. The findings indicate that, to date, the smoking ban in the ROI has not adversely affected the licensed premises surveyed. However, the findings do indicate changes in consumer behaviour, which is consistent with press reports in the ROI.

This paper presents insights from both the ROI where a statutory smoking ban is in place and Northern Ireland where no such restrictions are in place. It is believed that this cross border perspective affords greater insight into the issues surrounding statutory smoking bans. Within the UK, the debate on the idea of a statutory smoking ban is ongoing; this paper seeks to provide a concise review of the issues within the context of the hospitality industry.