Next six months 'critical' to inbound tourism recovery
Will PayneThe next six months and the upcoming Budget are "critical" to the inbound tourism sector’s recovery.
This was the message from UKinbound chief executive Joss Croft, who has outlined the association’s key asks to government ahead of the March Budget.
The group called on Westminster to reintroduce VAT free shopping for international visitors, which it predicted will generate £4.4 billion over two years for the UK economy.
It also said reforming business rates and extending support for retail businesses beyond April 2023 will help alleviate pressures caused by current inflation and energy costs.
Creating a new Youth Group Travel Scheme for under 18s, UKinbound added, would provide a solution to the "damaging impact" that has been caused by the removal of EU, EEA and Swiss citizen ID cards in 2021. It also called for the expansion and reform of the "underused" Youth Mobility Scheme.
Furthermore, the organisation claimed a new five-year visitor visa would ensure the UK’s visa and entry systems are globally competitive, and boosting VisitBritain’s budget so it can increase marketing efforts will help drive additional revenue.
Its final request was to freeze Air Passenger Duty (APD) for the remainder of the parliamentary term.
"The upcoming Budget presents a fantastic opportunity to implement policies that will not only enable government and the industry to reach these targets but surpass them," Croft said.
"The next six months are critical to our industry’s recovery and its ability to bring significant new export revenue into the country, and taxation to the Treasury, which will directly aid the UK’s balance sheet, and crucially support the Government’s Global Britain ambitions."
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