Tourism boom expected after air levy cut
SCOTLAND is in line for a tourism boom if ministers fast-forward plans to halve a key air levy, Edinburgh Airport bosses have said.
A new direct route to China could also be “within touching distance” if the Scottish Government publishes long-promised plans to cut Air Passenger Duty (APD).
Edinburgh Airport’s chief executive Gordon Dewar, said: “I urge politicians who support economic growth to back a swift 50% cut to APD. The benefits that it will bring will be transformational for Scotland’s connectivity and domestic tourism market.
“People on all incomes use air travel.
“An additional £13 short haul or £73 long haul might seem like buttons for top earners, but for a family of ordinary Scots, or indeed Poles or Chinese-Scots or Pakistani-Scots who fly between their two countries once or twice a year, it can be the difference of meeting their budget or not.”
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “Decreases in APD would make Scotland one of the most competitive destinations in the world and bring a further boost to visitor numbers, in particular to our key long-haul markets, at a time when international visitor spend is reaching record levels.”