UK Government To Continue Engaging The Caribbean On Troublesome Air Passenger Duty
London, UK (13 September 2010) - A high level Caribbean delegation has concluded a visit to Britain with an assurance from the Government that the Caribbean will be included in the consultative process on any changes to the troublesome Air Passenger Duty (APD ).
The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Secretariat arranged the highly effective London mission of six Caribbean tourism Ministers led by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Hon. John Maginley of Antigua & Barbuda, to continue pressing for a fairer passenger tax system in the UK. The other members of the delegation were Hon. Richard Sealy of Barbados, Hon. Glynis Roberts of Grenada, Hon. Edmund Bartlett of Jamaica, Sen. Richard Skerritt of St Kitts and Nevis, Sen. Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia and Hugh Riley, the CTO secretary general.
While in London, the delegation met in frank and detailed sessions with the UK’s Ministers responsible for Transportation, The Treasury, Tourism and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In addition, meetings were held with the main travel industry associations, including the British Air Transport Association (BATA) and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), as well as with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, the High Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand, the Caribbean Diplomatic Corps, the Caribbean Diaspora Leaders, and an amalgam of Diplomatic representatives from African and Asian countries.
“We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to present our case at the highest levels within the British government, who appeared empathetic to our concern that the APD increase is seriously threatening the health of the British market for long-haul tourism” said Chairman Maginley.
“We were able to focus the new British Government and the UK’s travel industry executives on some of the APD’s impacts on the Caribbean and on the UK, and suggested possible changes. The Government gave us the assurance that they will continue to engage us as they consider changes to the tax,” the CTO chairman added.
A key part of the Caribbean strategy is to engage Caribbean Diaspora leaders and influencers throughout the UK to continue to urge their MPs to take action on the APD. In addition, the CTO plans to work with Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries affected by the APD, particularly those with large Diaspora communities in the UK, to apply the same level of engagement.
“We will continue to keep our Diaspora energised and seek the assurance that the Commonwealth is motivated to be involved in this matter,” said Chairman Maginley.
The Caribbean’s effort received widespread media coverage, with the UK‘s nationwide news service, The Press Association, as well as The Daily Telegraph and travel specialist press such as Travel Weekly, Travelmole and Travel Trade Gazette among those covering the story.*
Caribbean tourism ministers for London meetings on airline passenger tax
Published on September 3, 2010 – Caribbean News Now
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-Caribbean-tourism-ministers-for-London-meetings-on-airline-passenger-tax-1696.html
Caribbean Tourism Ministers Meet with Commonwealth Secretariat – Caribbean Daily News/ Posted by on Sep 8th, 2010
http://www.caribbeandailynews.com/caribbean-tourism-ministers-meet-with-commonwealth-secretariat/
Caribbean Tourism Ministers Meet Virgin Atlantic AirwaysMonday, September 6, 2010 10:09 PM - London, UK
http://www.gov.gd/egov/news/2010/sep10/06_09_10/item_1/caribbean_tourism_ministers.html
Caribbean ministerial group to lobby in London against second round of punitive tax hikes – Dominica News Online
http://dominicanewsonline.com/dno/caribbean-ministerial-group-to-lobby-in-london-against-second-round-of-punitive-tax-hikes/
Caribbean tourism bosses lobby government over airport tax hike – Daily Mail
Last updated at 1:41 PM on 6th September 2010
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1309437/Coalition-Caribbean-tourism-ministers-APD.html#ixzz0zS4Dy37f
Tourism Minister Skerritt in Caribbean delegation for London talks – Nevis Pages
http://www.nevispages.com/news.php?id=0CE74C49-F2DC-C93F-1A96-5ADCA390FD1C
St. Kitts Daily News: http://stkittsdailynews.com/?p=2498
Defending the Caribbean tourism industry - By Stabroek | September 5, 2010: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/features/09/05/defending-the-caribbean-tourism-industry/
Caribbean tourism ministers hit UK headlines – Caribbean Daily News
http://www.caribbeandailynews.com/caribbean-tourism-ministers-hit-uk-headlines/
Jamaica joins air passenger tax lobby - Gleaner
http://www.go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=22408
Telegraph.co.uk: Increases in Air Passenger Duty take effect on November 1. Charles Starmer-Smith reports on the likely impact it will have on travel and outlines why Britons must oppose it.
Comment by CTO Secretary General, Hugh Riley on the UK Passenger tax, published by the Telegraph.
Travelmole: Caribbean tourism leaders have slammed the planned rise in UK Air Passenger Duty
Jamaica tourism minister Ed Bartlett, Caribbean Tourism Organisation acting secretary general High Riley and Dianne Abbott MP strongly criticised the plans while attending an industry function in London.
Link: http://www.travelmole.tv/watch_vdo.php?id=15097
Travel Trade Gazette: Caribbean ramps up APD lobbying ; Link: http://bit.ly/uIKnk
Daily Telegraph: Caribbean anger over 'unfair' UK flights tax ; Link: http://bit.ly/UHtfp
BBC Caribbean: CTO warns against tax
British parliamentarians have been told by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) that the UK's proposed increases in air passenger duty will hurt Caribbean tourism. That message is being drummed home in the British capital London, by the CTO's interim Secretary General Hugh Riley.
Mr Riley has been meeting with members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, explaining the kind of effect the CTO fears the proposed increases will have on Caribbean tourism.
"We believe that it will erode the competitiveness of the Caribbean," the CTO official said of the tax to be imposed from November on Caribbean and other long haul flights out of the UK. He said the measure would have a negative effect on airline tickets to the Caribbean, and that the impact would be felt in tourist destinations in the region.
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2009/06/090618_niblunchtime.shtml