A tax from hell – that’s the latest description being slapped on Britain’s controversial travel tax – the Air Passenger Duty (APD) that Caribbean destinations say is hurting their tourism industry.
News agency reports say the 8 percent APD increase that took effect on April 1 has become a major cause of contention between the UK government and the global travel and tourism industry, with governments and tourism organizations using “very strong language to convey their opposition for APD”, which in 2007 doubled and has been on a steady increase since 2009.
Pacific-Asia Travel Association’s CEO, Martin Craigs is quoted in one report as labeling the APD as a detention tax for UK residents, a travel tax he said was the world’s highest “by a wide margin”.
And World Travel & Tourism Council President & CEO David Scowsill has also been weighing in on the APD.
“Air Passenger Duty is a completely disproportionate tax on people’s holidays and is hitting business travel hard. When the economy needs help, it is economically illogical to continue with a tax that costs the country some 91,000 jobs and as much as £4.2 billion,” he told eTN (Global Travel Industry News).
According to Scowsill the APD is having a negative effect on trade with countries in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.
“We urge the UK Government to recognise the impact on the overall economy and reduce Air Passenger Duty,” he said.
South Africa Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has also blasted the British travel tax, contending that “What started off as a green tax, has now become a pure revenue-raising mechanism. It’s green credentials are long gone. The tax started off at a low level, but it is now a substantial tax on international tourism. And for those of us in the developing world that depend on eco-tourism, it is a tax on our green services exports.”
The 8 percent APD rise officially took effect on Sunday (April 1), as had been announced by the UK government in its Autumn Statement last year.
For short-haul flights, the tax has increased from £12 (US$19.22) to £13 (US$20.82).
For long-haul flights of more than 4,000 miles, it has gone up from £85 (US$136.22) to £92 (US$147.40).
Caribbean countries are on record as pointing to the impact of the APD – they along with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation contend that the tax has resulted in declining numbers of Britons visiting the Caribbean.
The 8 percent increase means that British travelers to the Caribbean region, which falls into the 4,001–6,000 miles band, will pay US$257 extra on a ticket, up from US$238.
Caribbean countries continue to denounce the tax as discriminatory and harmful to their tourism prospects.
The taxes most be a move to cut down travel to the caribbean so when the war start there ppl won’t be there
sures rite its ”tax from hell”!!! My God I was recently looking a flight to london from Antigua; the RT fare was like almost $500+ then they added an additional $600+ tax and fuel surcharge on there. Cancelled trip IMMEDIATELY!!! Int know way imma pay all this to go to london plus i still gotta pay LIAT to get to Antigua, nope!!! Forget about london,i’ll stick to my US and caribbean trips.
CB, maybe you should try and travel via Martinique to London. As far as I know the French don’t apply this perverse tax on flights from their overseas territories to France. You can take a ferry from the centre of Roseau to Fort de France, avoiding a costly, tedious taxi ride to Melville Hall. Take your flight to Paris Orly, which has some seven daily connections to London City airport (close to the town centre, directly connected to the underground transport system and much less hassle than either Gatwick or Heathrow if your are flying Air France you can check your luggage all the way thru. to London). Aopart from Air France, also check offers from Corsair and AirCaraibe, which tend to be lower than AF. Above all, you would avoid having to travel with LIAT and enjoy a better luggage allowance in the bargain. It is worth a try. Most of our visitors from mainland Europe already travel this way. good luck!
The British Government don’t give a hoot. They are taking away their own senior citizens benefits and have also increased costs of basic food like hot pastries etc. Gas in the UK cost the highest in Europe. Things are upside down in this country. While hard working people get less benefits, lazy, unemployed, of all kinds, white, black, indians, East Europeans are getting free housing, free child support.
They just spent 12 million pounds to renovate Kensington palace, yet they cutting back on social services to the elderly….
Our government is spending $27 mil. Taking into consideration the comparative GDP’s, that’s a very high percentage on our part.
That tax will be reduced after the Olympics. Notice how they put it up just before the Olympics start, when its too late for foreign people to cancel.
You guys that does want to throw all you support behind places like Britain. These people care nothing about you and me; they never have, they never will.
Its obvious that they don’t want their people visiting the Caribbean shores. This goes way deeper than just bringing in revenue.
Does this APD affect travel to the US? Just asking…
Yes, it also affects travel from the U.K. to the U.S.A. albeit at a reduced rate. For some daft reason one pays less tax flying from London to Los Angeles than from London to Antigua ( a much shorter journey) I guess it is easier to upset us than the Americans!
Thank you so much for your informative response.
This is what this site should be more about.
One love!!!
Green tax my foot more like a greedy Tax. Those Brtits are still greedy!
I agree,bu we are not blameless ourselves by subjecting airline tickets to VAT, which the U.K. Govt. does not. A whole money making industry has been built on this spurious claim of “environmental care” I’m afraid.
You can’t tax someone for the environment. Soon they will be taxing us for air…wait they already do!