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guest editor steve ridgway
ttglive.com
The impact of APD rises on the Caribbean and UK airlines,
Whitehall’s inept framing of the law, and difficulties faced by
British carriers ordering aircraft were top of Steve Ridgway’s
news agenda when he took control atTTG. Chris Gray reports
Caribbean ramps
Caribbean beaches devoid of UK tourists could result
from the hike in APD. That was the message put by
up APD lobbying
John Lynch (below left), chairman of the Jamaica Tourist
Board (JTB), Edmund Bartlett, tourism minister, and Alec
Sanguinette (right), director-general of the Caribbean
Hotel Association, to Diane Abbott MP this week
C
aribbean politicians are Those MPs needed to realise the
upping the pressure on “punitive” impact of the planned
Labour MPs over Air increases on Caribbean tourism
Passenger Duty as and the unfairness of taxing
political opposition to increases Caribbean flights at a higher rate
in the tax grows, writes Chris Gray. than services to the whole of the
A delegation including Jamaican US, including Hawaii, he said. “We
prime minister Bruce Golding flew want equity in the band definition
into the UK on Tuesday to meet MPs, and application,” Bartlett added.
among them Tory shadow treasury minister Riley said the Caribbean had already
Greg Hands who is spearheading calls for experienced a drastic decline in visitors from
reform of the tax. every source market and the APD increases
TAXATION.
Hands recently quoted TTG’s reports on the would worsen the problem.
issue in the Commons as he warned about The CTO had started a survey of travellers
APD’s ‘simplicity’
the impact on tourism-dependent Caribbean to the islands, asking if the increase would put
communities of plans to increase the tax in them off visiting again, which it hoped to use at price of logic
November this year and next. in lobbying, he added.
Golding, his tourism minister Ed Bartlett The Caribbean delegation was also meeting THE LAW introducing the new form of APD is so
and Caribbean Tourism Organisation Andy Cooper from Abta and key figures at Virgin badly framed that it would mean an independent
secretary-general Hugh Riley met Hands along Atlantic and British Airways, who oppose increases Scotland would be put in the same distance
with Labour MP Diane Abbott and former in APD because of the impact on tourism, and the band as Australia.
international development secretary Baroness government’s failure to use proceeds for environ- Tory MP Greg Hands said that would lead to
Amos on Wednesday. mental ends, despite justifying it as a green tax. someone flying from Edinburgh to London
Bartlett said the delegation also met being charged £85 in APD rather than £12.
representatives from Caribbean communities Steve says: “I am pleased to see that Hands said the same fate would befall an
in marginal UK seats to urge them to mobilise Jamaica is leading the way in showing how independent Kosovo as the tax automatically
their communities against the tax in the next APD will have a dramatic and negative put any new state into the most expensive band.
general election. impact on the economies of the Caribbean. He raised it as an example of how the tax was
Caribbean governments have drawn up a hit The UK government needs to listen very not “administratively simple” as the government
list of seats where Caribbean votes hold the carefully to all of the groups who will face has claimed in its defence.
balance of power. Bartlett said 80% of those an impact from this unfair and illogical Treasury minister Angela Eagle said new
were now held by Labour MPs. increase in taxation.” states would be put in the correct distance band
by a quick parliamentary procedure.
She admitted the tax was “rough and ready”
STEVE ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
but it insisted it had administrative merits.
One of Steve Ridgway’s duties as TTG guest editor was to take questions from readers, who quizzed him
Steve says: “The devil is in the detail and the
on everything from the state of the airline’s Gatwick fleet to the best way to get an upgrade. He also
responded to criticism of Virgin Holidays’ policies towards agents, suggestions his airline should “bury
more you look into the planned APD changes
the hatchet” with BA, and revealed what he’d do if he were not running an airline. Q&A at ttglive.com/steveridgway
the more questions are raised. Now is the
time for these changes to be reviewed.”
10 19.06.2009
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