LONDON, England — The British government is expected to make a parliamentary statement next week on its controversial air passenger duty (APD) that Caribbean countries say is hurting the regional tourism industry.
Britain’s Finance Minister, George Osbourne, is due to deliver a budget statement on 23 March in which he is expected to address the APD tax.
The tax has recently been increased, making travel to the Caribbean more costly and uncompetitive.
The secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Hugh Riley, told BBC Caribbean that the region hopes that Osbourne will announce a reduction in the tax.
If there is a reduction in the tax, more Britons and other Europeans are expected to travel to the Caribbean on vacation.
Yet holidays from the UK to the far east are £500 for the week including hotel in some cases.
oh i really hope some thing is done about the price of flights, there is 3 of us, one being our little daughter who is 2, and we wanted to come back to visit family this year, but the fare price for the 3 of us, is £2,100, that is 800 for me and 800 for my hubbie, and they are charging 500 for our daughter, then we have to book liat flights then to hire a car for the 3 weeks, and money to spend, we where going to need the best part of £4,000.
the amazing thing is i got all excited at finding flights for £420, but with the tax it made them £800, so the tax is nearly the same price as the ticket.
They have to realize thats it is not just holiday makers who go to the caribbean, a lot of people in the UK have family in the caribbean.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that some thing is done, as i want our little girl to grow up spending time with her dominican aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents, not just seeing them on skype.
she needs to enjoy what her daddy and i have enjoyed about dominica, the rivers, the rain forest, carnival,the ocean and of course the food, its not quiet the same buying mangos, from a market in london, than it is going out to the back yard and picking one.
hope to see all my friends and family soon xx