MARIGOT, St Martin-The CEO of British Airways has a less than sunny outlook for Caribbean tourism. Keith Williams tells tourism officials from the region that a British airline tax, high unemployment and European regulations on carbon emissions will mean fewer travellers to the region on his airline.
Williams is especially critical of Britain putting a higher tax on flights to the Caribbean than to competing destinations in the United States. He says tax increases the cost of a flight from London to the Caribbean for a family of four by about US$470. British Airways is predicting a 6 per cent drop in passengers to the Caribbean. Williams spoke yesterday at the Caribbean Tourism Organization conference in French St Martin.
AP
