Agent Study Shows Impact of APD on Caribbean Sales

Agent Study Shows Impact of APD on Caribbean Sales
By Bev Fearis

Bookings to the Caribbean are down 20 percent, according to The Co-operative Travel. The agency chain studied 30,000 bookings made since November 1 when the increased Air Passenger Duty came into force.

Comparing this with bookings for the same period the year before, it saw a 17 percent reduction year-on-year in holidays for destinations that are between 4,000 and 6,000 miles from London. Sales to the Caribbean are down 10 percent and sales to India have been even harder hit, down 34 percent.

Managing director Mike Greenacre said: “This is a very worrying trend that impacts not only on holidaymakers but the many people employed in the travel industry that sell Caribbean and Asian holidays – both in the UK and abroad.

“Transport Minister Theresa Villiers confirmed last week that the Government is examining the impact of taxation on aviation with a view to an announcement in March: let’s hope that the conclusions will have a positive impact on the tourism industry.”