02 July 2009

CTO steps up campaign against APD rise

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation is urging anyone in Britain with a Caribbean connection to urgently write to their MP to stop the rise in Air Passenger Duty.

The CTO said letters should be send before 7 July to stop the increase, due to come into force in November (see previous TravelMole story).

Already, constituents with Caribbean connections are turning the APD rise into an election issue.

A letter-writing campaign to politicians is underway from community groups and individuals concerned for the impact on their own travel plans as well as the economic impact on their friends and family within the Caribbean.

Sarah Teather, MP for Brent East, tabled an early day motion in Parliament this week after receiving numerous letters from constituents angry and worried about the proposed tax changes.

Carol Hay of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation said travel agents who specialise in the Caribbean are also furious about proposed changes.

"Everyone accepts we need to have taxes, but we feel this tax is simply unfair to one region of the world," she said.

"It discriminates against anyone who wants to visit the region and to anyone who has business or family connections.

"We only have a tiny window of time to try to get our voice heard, so we're urging anyone who thinks they will be affected by this, or knows of people who will be affected to get involved and email their MP to protest.

"It's a simply question of clicking onto our website www.onecaribbean.org/traveltrade/tradenews/newsandfeatures/apd.aspx to find the email address of your MP and to look at the draft letters that we've written to give you a sense of what needs to be said."

Under the new scheme, a family of four travelling to visit friends and family in the region and to attend special events such as funerals will be required to pay up to £600 in tax alone.

By Bev Fearis