United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
APD increase will hit UK tourism, warns Ukinbound
Ukinbound has welcomed a reform of Air Passenger Duty but has voiced concerns about the Government’s desire to increase taxes on air travel.
The trade association for UK export tourism businesses said a fundamental reform of APD was long overdue, but added that it did not welcome an objective, outlined by the Treasury in the pre-Budget small print, to increase taxes on travel.
Chief executive Stephen Dowd said: “The Treasury has yet again missed the point in its efforts to gouge more money from tax weary travellers.
“And where will this money be spent? There was no indication the additional taxation would be used for environmental purposes.
“This policy will do more to damage inbound and domestic tourism than to curb outbound travel or carbon emissions. By taxing the environmental impact of the aircraft, airlines will be encouraged to invest more heavily in developing sustainable alternatives.”
It said higher taxes will mean that potential overseas visitors, comparing UK prices with the lower priced flights and taxes of other destinations, will increasingly choose to take their business elsewhere.
“Further increases are totally unjustified and would simply undermine our international competitiveness,” added Dowd.
By Bev Fearis
Related News Stories:
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Storm Lilian travel chaos as bank holiday flights cancelled