Tweet
As Jamaica absorbs the news that Britain will be hiking the Air Passenger Duty (APD), Ed Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, says strategies are being devised to mitigate the expected fallout.
They include changes to tourism advertising.
Mr. Bartlett says with the expected decline in travellers from the UK, attention will now turn to emerging markets.
“This winter we are going to have close to 20,000 seats from the South America and Latin America. This is important because it could bring us somewhere in the region between 10,000 to 16,000 visitors. That will help to offset some of the downturn from the UK as well as new flights that are coming out of France, Italy and Scandanavia,” Mr. Bartlett said.
The British government on Tuesday announced it will hike the APD to the Caribbean by 10%, next April, despite an intensive lobby against the tax.
Caribbean tourism authorities have lobbied the British government over the tax, saying it unfairly discriminates against travel to the region.
And British Airways has said it will hire fewer people next year as a result of the planned rise in the Air Passenger Duty.
BA says the tax rise meant it would hire about 400 people, not 800.
The airline will also review plans to bring in an extra Boeing 747.
Boss of British Airway's parent company, International Airlines Group, Willie Walsh, says the harm to the economy exceeded the revenue that would be raised.
Many airlines say the APD should be scrapped, arguing that a rise will damage chances of an economic recovery.
http://rjrnewsonline.com/business/ja...ne-uk-visitors
They include changes to tourism advertising.
Mr. Bartlett says with the expected decline in travellers from the UK, attention will now turn to emerging markets.
“This winter we are going to have close to 20,000 seats from the South America and Latin America. This is important because it could bring us somewhere in the region between 10,000 to 16,000 visitors. That will help to offset some of the downturn from the UK as well as new flights that are coming out of France, Italy and Scandanavia,” Mr. Bartlett said.
The British government on Tuesday announced it will hike the APD to the Caribbean by 10%, next April, despite an intensive lobby against the tax.
Caribbean tourism authorities have lobbied the British government over the tax, saying it unfairly discriminates against travel to the region.
And British Airways has said it will hire fewer people next year as a result of the planned rise in the Air Passenger Duty.
BA says the tax rise meant it would hire about 400 people, not 800.
The airline will also review plans to bring in an extra Boeing 747.
Boss of British Airway's parent company, International Airlines Group, Willie Walsh, says the harm to the economy exceeded the revenue that would be raised.
Many airlines say the APD should be scrapped, arguing that a rise will damage chances of an economic recovery.
http://rjrnewsonline.com/business/ja...ne-uk-visitors
Comment