Jamaican sources have revealed the wildly unpopular British Air Passenger Duty could be redesigned following a new consultation.

Edmund Bartlett, the tourism minister for the destination, revealed at Caribbean Marketplace that a new consultation is planned to begin on March 25th.

A spokesperson for the department for culture media and sport refused to confirm or deny the statement.

However, prime minister David Cameron cited tourism as one of the key industries to lead Britain out of recession in a speech last week, alongside aerospace, advanced manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.

With the Royal Wedding, Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee all looming, ministers may also be keen to act quickly.

Air Passenger Duty

Bartlett suggested, after an intense period of lobbying, the coalition government would launch an eight week consultation.

Key to Caribbean complaints is their position in Band C of the tax, meaning passengers departing for the region fall into the same bracket as those travelling to Hawaii, hundreds of miles to the west.

In response, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation has suggested a new two-tier approach, one for long-haul and one for short-haul flights.

Arguing the decision is revenue neutral, the move would shift the burden of the tax toward short-haul European destinations.