British Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Jeremy Browne says the high air passenger duty (APD) tax is not the only factor affecting British tourism to the Caribbean. Browne was speaking to members of the media yesterday after the formal opening ceremony for the UK Food and Beverage Trade Mission and Exhibition at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain.
Addressing concerns about reduction of British tourists visiting the Caribbean, Browne said the British Government understood the potential harm the APD was having on Caribbean tourism but the region also needed to ensure it was offering the right product "in terms of safety and security, the quality of hotels, which in some areas is better than others.
"I don't think the APD is the only factor that is worth thinking about in terms of the tourism industry," said Browne, who added he was "positive" about tourism on the whole and was seeing trends moving upward. He said he recently held meetings with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and both carriers planned to increase flights into the region. "I am hoping the tourism sector will continue to grow but we need to make sure the fundamentals are right."
Browne said the British Government understood the heavy travel taxation into the Caribbean was a consideration but pointed out that other considerations to improve tourism included the safety and security of British tourists upon their arrival in the region. Browne said ensuring such factors were addressed would pave the way for a healthy and thriving tourism industry in the Caribbean.
Background
In November 2009, the British Government implemented the APD tax to generate much needed revenue.
Destinations were placed in classes depending on distance and carbon usage. The Caribbean was placed in Class C with APD tax rising from £75 to £150 a passenger in taxes. The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) has publicly condemned the taxes and has appealed to the British Government to review the system of classification of the Caribbean.