“Some Very Welcome Measures” In Chancellor’s Budget but Air Passenger Duty Still a Problem – ABTA

ABTA – The Travel Association,  has responded to the Chancellor’s Budget which was laid out before Parliament

ABTA – The Travel Association,  has responded to the Chancellor’s Budget which was laid out before Parliament yesterday, Wednesday 15 March 2023.

Speaking on the announcement, Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“We agree with the Chancellor’s focus on growth during today’s Budget – ABTA research shows that, with the right framework, the outbound travel sector is expected to grow by 15% over coming years (compared with 2019 levels), outperforming the wider UK economy.

“There are also some very welcome measures that will benefit travel workers and businesses. For example, a big challenge for the travel industry’s recovery has been the ability to recruit and retain staff. The Government’s announcements around childcare and helping people return to work should help both current staff and those who might wish to join the industry.

”However, it is disappointing to see the Government pressing ahead with inflationary increases in Air Passenger Duty (APD), as announced in the Autumn Statement. Not only is this bad news for travellers, as they have to bear the cost of this rise through their air ticket, but also UK competitiveness. The UK already has amongst the highest APD in the world and increasing this further contradicts with the message that we want to grow the economy.”

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