The Government has pledged to improve the visa application process for visitors to the UK in its new tourism policy announced today.
It has also promised to take action to give visitors a warmer welcome on arrival.
In a raft of measures announced in the new policy document, the Government is proposing to increase the uptake of online applications to 90% by 2012.
It plans to share visa application centres with trusted allies, like Australia and the US, so that they are easier to travel to.
It is also looking at introducing a simpler application process for ‘low risk’ applicants.
The policy outlines steps to improve the welcome for visitors through more automation and pre-clearance at border controls and improvements at airport terminals.
The policy been broadly welcomed by the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA).
It said its research indicates that 20% of all prospective clients desist because of the visa process.
“The prospect of completing a visa application is daunting. Someone wanting to come to the UK from, say, China has to make an appointment at a visa processing centre (which can be 500 miles away), complete a form in English (not just a foreign language, but a foreign script), be photographed and fingerprinted (a process associated with criminality) and then interviewed; they are then charged £70, with no guarantee of being granted a visa,” it said.
“This is a dire first impression. There is a perception of arrogance.”
But ETOA said the policy falls short because it does not address the issue of TOMS. See separate story.
The policy has also been criticised for ignoring the outbound travel sector.
Manny, Fontenla-Novoa, Group CEO, Thomas Cook Group said: "The government has let the travel industry down – again.
"UK tourism is not just about the inbound traveller and the government seems to have completely forgotten about the 38 million holidaymakers that take their tourism out of the UK to visit new countries, experience new cultures and take advantage of great weather – ultimately taking their hard earned annual family holiday overseas."
He said despite Thomas Cook being the UK’s largest wholly owned tourism business and the largest provider of holidays in the UK, the Tourism Minister has refused to even meet with it to discuss his strategy.
"The government consistently fails to see the benefits to the UK economy of a buoyant overseas holiday industry and the lack of it in today’s tourism strategy only reinforces this," he said.
UK Tourism Strategy: TUI Travel disappointed by the government’s failure to recognise the importance of outbound tourism
Peter Long, CEO TUI Travel, said he was also disappointed the outbound sector has been overlooked.
"Whilst not unexpected, it does appear somewhat short-sighted given the significant contribution outbound travel brings to the UK economy as a whole. The UK tourism strategy should acknowledge this and as the largest outbound tour operator in the UK, we would urge the Government not to be blinkered in its perspective.
“We do, however, welcome any initiative which will ultimately improve our customers’ holiday experiences and so we welcome the proposal to publish airport check-in and transit times."
By Bev Fearis
