Bookings to the Caribbean are down 20%, according to The Co-operative Travel.
The agency chain studied 30,000 bookings made since November 1 when the increased Air Passenger Duty came into force.
Comparing this with bookings for the same period the year before, it saw a 17% reduction year-on-year in holidays for destinations that are between 4,000 and 6,000 miles from London.
Sales to the Caribbean are down 20% and sales to India have been even harder hit, down 34%.
Managing director Mike Greenacre said: “This is a very worrying trend that impacts not only on holidaymakers but the many people employed in the travel industry that sell Caribbean and Asian holidays – both in the UK and abroad.
“Transport Minister Theresa Villiers confirmed last week that the Government is examining the impact of taxation on aviation with a view to an announcement in March: let’s hope that the conclusions will have a positive impact on the tourism industry.”
By Bev Fearis
