The British government ‘doesn’t listen’ to world wide complaints about Air Passenger Duty, says a world tourism body.
Speaking at ITB in Berlin, United Nations World Tourism Organisation secretary general Taleb Rifai said that the British government has ‘turned a deaf ear’ to worldwide appeals for a reform of APD.
The tax continues to hit long haul destinations, many of them developing countries, hard.
APD, revised last November and based of four bands depending on the distance travelled, is due to be increased again this November.
Stressing that he wanted to maintain friendship with the UK, Rifai said that the British government knew that ‘they are wrong’ in introducing this tax but now with budgets tight they were loath to give up the possible £3 billion tax take.
Although the UNWTO does not expect any changes in government policy until after the forthcoming general election, the body would push with greater impetus before the end of the year to have this tax removed or changed.
The UNWTO will be "keeping up the pressure" to persuade the British authorities to stop this "not listening" policy.
The secretary general was supported in his remarks by South African tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
"The people who will suffer from this British tax will be developing countries like ourselves," he said.
"But its not just our tourism which is suffering. We South Africans now have to obtain visas and even transit visas to visit the United Kingdom and that application process is not easy.
"Very soon we will say to our people ‘don’t travel to the United Kingdom’ and then we’ll all suffer – developing and developed countries alike."
by John Bell
