The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has strongly criticised the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, which came into effect for European visa-exempt travellers on April 2.
WTTC President and CEO, Julia Simpson, has called it an unnecessary financial burden on international travellers and a potential threat to the country’s tourism industry.
She condemned the policy, arguing that it contradicted the UK government’s supposed commitment to economic growth.
“This completely undermines the UK’s growth policy. Instead of making the UK an attractive place to visit, this is another barrier to tourists,” said Simpson.
The ETA, which requires visitors from visa-exempt countries to obtain pre-travel authorisation, adds yet another cost to travel in a country that is already among the most expensive to visit, according to Simpson.
She highlighted several factors that made the UK a costly destination, including high VAT, Air Passenger Duty, and the absence of tax-free shopping for international visitors.
“Travel and tourism contribute more than £280bn (R6,9trn) to the UK economy and supports over four million jobs across the country, and our businesses pay £100bn (R2,4trn) annually to the Treasury in tax revenues. Prime Minister Keir Starmer needs to focus on growing the economy, and protecting jobs, not introducing policies that jeopardise them.”
