As the world’s key players in the travel and tourism industry have gathered at World Travel Market in London this week, ABTA is calling for the international community to join the campaign against further increases in the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD). 

Britain’s aviation tax is the highest in the world. Since APD was introduced here in 1994, annual revenue raised by the tax has increased by 250 per cent. This year alone, £2.6bn of holidaymakers’ and business travellers’ money will go to the Treasury and by 2015, the Government has stated it will increase revenue from APD by a further £1.2bn.

ABTA believes this is having a direct impact on the travel and tourism industry as it makes the UK less attractive for other countries to do business with and makes air travel less affordable for UK passengers. In a recent ABTA survey* four in ten UK consumers said that high air taxes put them off flying, highlighting how the tax is influencing peoples’ travel decisions.

ABTA is part of the Fair Tax on Flying alliance,  which this summer launched a new campaign website: www.afairtaxonflying.org where both UK residents and non-UK residents can use an email template to call on the British Government to commission a review into the economic impacts of APD.

Mark Tanzer, CEO ABTA said: “In the UK we currently pay the highest air taxes in the world, this is not only putting people off visiting the UK but it also makes it less affordable for British passengers to travel, particularly to longer haul destinations. We would encourage all of you affected by the continued increases in this tax to make your voices heard. There are many ways to get involved, whether it is through your own governments, lobbying the UK Government or simply sending an email from our campaign website.”