News

ABTA sends out pre-Budget plea

ABTA has pleaded with the Chancellor not to hit the
trade with a tax double whammy.

Next week three senior Government
ministers – tourism minister Richard Caborn, transport minister Kim Howells and
Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell – will receive a letter urging them not to
raise Air Passenger Duty or put VAT on the package holiday flights.

In the same pre-Budget letter to the Treasury, ABTA
chief executive Ian Reynolds expressed fears further tax rises would
dramatically increase prices but cost the industry hundreds of jobs.

The pre-Budget report – where Chancellor Gordon Brown
sets out his tax plans for next year’s Budget – will take place on December 10.

Reynolds said the industry’s position “remains gloomy”
with year-on-year bookings for this summer down 5%.

“I urge the Government to resist taking steps that
will harm the UK travel industry’s competitive position,” he said.

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.