Barbados PM enlists trade backing against APD hikes
Tuesday, 07 Oct, 2009
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Passengers on UK airlines are to be brought together as a lobby group through the introduction of leaflets on aircraft outlining the disparity of Air Passenger Duty proposals.
They will be encouraged to sign up and then the leaflets would then be sent to the government.
This is one idea outlined as Barbados prime minister David Thompson met with senior UK travel industry representatives as part of a campaign to persuade the government to amend planned hikes in Air Passenger Duty.
The overall objective of the Thompson’s campaign is to stop the second stage of the APD increases, due in November 2010 and to have Barbados and the Caribbean region placed in Band B alongside the US, rather than Band C.
Thompson said APD unfairly penalizes visitors to Barbados and the Caribbean because it is based on the distance from London to the capital city of the destination, rather than the actual miles flown.
This means that a person flying to Bridgetown from London would pay 25% more under the APD proposals than someone flying to Honolulu in Hawaii, which is 3,000 miles further.
Amongst those attending the round table discussion in London were TUI UK and Ireland managing director Dermot Blastland and George Blundell Pound, acting head of public affairs at the Federation of Tour Operators.
There was consensus amongst all those attending the meeting that APD had been drawn up without thorough examination; particularly in the way it penalizes visitors to the Caribbean, whose economies rely heavily on tourism.
It was also noted that the UK government has admitted the funds raised from APD will not go towards ‘green issues’ as previously claimed, but will instead be used in general tax terms.
Thompson said “I am delighted so many influential travel and tourism organisations in the UK are supporting our APD campaign. There was complete agreement amongst all those attending our meeting that this is an issue the British Government need to take very seriously.
“It is unfair to discriminate against visitors to our region, who will pay far more in APD than those travelling to destinations that are many thousands of miles further away.
"It is also unfair for our Diaspora, who will have a disproportionately high tax forced upon them when they wish to return to Barbados to visit their family and friends. I am confident our activities will encourage the British government to review their APD proposals.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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