19 February 2008

Biometric entry visas hitting tourism to UK

The introduction of biometric data collection from all travellers to the UK is the latest burden facing travel companies trying to lure tourists to Britain.

Members of industry body UKinbound say they are continuing to report "severe' drops in demand from travel to Britain from China, India and Russia in particular due to the time and cost of travel to visa centres.

Reporting a 2.5% decline in overseas arrivals in December, the organisation said long haul travel to the UK was worst affected, with the new method of visa data collection introduced from last October being of "particular concern'.

"As the UK is the first European country to introduce such a requirement for visa applicants, we are also seeing a reluctance in some countries for potential visitors to apply for a visa either because of the increased inconvenience of providing biometric data or because their culture finds in intrusive,' UKinbound said.

The trade body representing more than 230 companies and organisations conceded that such issues will become less damaging as other countries begin similar visa processes, "but they are currently an additional burden that tourism exporters have had imposed on them'.

Travel companies selling trips to the UK already have to put up with higher visa costs than other European nations.

"Whilst the cost of visas remain a small part of the total UK tourism package, they are, alongside Air Passenger Duty and now biometrics, the most visible disincentives to choose the UK over the plethora of competitor nations vying for this business,' said UKinbound.

The organisation warned that current visitor trends to the UK were likely to continue for at least the first half of 2008 due to the global economic situation and a lowering expectation of large UK interest rate cuts.

"Europe remains the most likely source of growth this year but this is likely to be less than the decline in long haul markets, leading to a net reduction in revenue, if not volume, for 2008,' according to UKinbound.

by Phil Davies