Statement by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) on the Air Passenger Duty

Caribbean Tourism Organisation 23 June 2010

Hon. John Maginley, Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) today welcomed the extra time provide by the British government to consider future plans for aviation taxation,  but said he was appalled that the discriminatory tax bands remain in place and the planned Air Passenger Duty rises scheduled for November appear set to go ahead.
 
“We understand that the British government needs to raise taxation but the current structure is unfair and unbalanced,” he said. “We simply should not be in a different tax band to the USA.
 
“This is such a hugely serious issue for our region that we are now planning to review the opportunity for putting a legal challenge to the British government,” said Mr. Maginley. “It’s clear that because our economies are so heavily reliant on tourism this tax is effectively a tax on our countries’ exports. We’ll be reviewing the position with organisations such as the World Trade Organisation.” The tax is also hugely unfair to the many families in the Caribbean community in the UK who travel frequently to the region.


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