Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association continues fight to ease UK tax barriers

The recognition of the anomaly in the air passenger duty (APD) band system and the consultation on reforming APD that was announced by the UK government is welcomed by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association.

The fact that the UK's chancellor of the exchequer referred to the Caribbean in his budget statement, and that the consultation document refers on several occasions to the Caribbean, is testament to the ongoing success of the advocacy campaign being led by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) on this issue.

Josef Forstmayr, president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), said: "The CHTA hopes that the consultation will allow the discriminatory aspect of the distance band system to be addressed; however, we share the concerns of our industry partners about the high level of the tax, which threatens the sustainability and growth of the vital tourism industry. The increasing tendency to introduce aviation taxes is of grave concern to us.

"We were pleased to see that in the opening statement of the APD consultation document, Justine Greening MP, the minister in HM Treasury responsible for aviation taxation, stated that 'private sector-led growth is the key to future prosperity'. As representatives of the private sector, the CHTA will continue to contribute to policymaking which impacts upon Caribbean tourism, and we look forward to working with the CTO and our UK industry partners in developing the Caribbean's response to the APD proposals."