Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Warns about Lack of Global Air Policy

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Warns about Lack of Global Air Policy
(Excerpted from www.caribbean360.com)

Airlines that change their rules, ownership structures and business arrangements at will pose a danger to the ongoing viability of the Caribbean tourism product.

This was the message sent by Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, as he addressed the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 19th General Assembly in Gyeongju, South Korea earlier this week.

In his address, Minister Bartlett called for urgent action on the part of stakeholders including the UNWTO, to address pressing concerns regarding airlift facing Caribbean countries. He lamented that “countries in the region that depend so heavily on tourism are being faced with tremendous challenges in maintaining airlift to the region as there is no airlift operation policy framework globally, and therefore there are no rules to follow.”

The Minister further charged that countries in the region were being asked to accommodate airlines that operate within their own rules.

“The truth is,” he said, “airlines are free to change their rules, ownership structures and business arrangements at will, irrespective of how they affect the cost of travel or the availability of connectivity to vulnerable tourism states like ours in the Caribbean, and other small island destinations. The trend of creating oligopoly will reduce consumer choices and create pricing levels that are unaffordable to a large number of potential travelers and tourists.”

Minister Bartlett noted that players in the region’s tourism sector recognize that in these difficult economic circumstances, businesses must take the necessary actions to improve their bottom line and please shareholders.

However he pointed out that it is necessary for countries to collaborate with airlines that serve the tourism industry to safeguard the sector. The Minister highlighted that “what has not happened is a similarly conscious evaluation of the impact of the actions of airlines on our region. There is need for urgent collaboration, in-depth analysis of our situation in the region, and the development of a collaborative and unified response to this problem. We encourage the airlines to take into consideration the importance of adequate and economical airlift to the fragile yet important tourism industry in Caribbean states, as they continue to make changes in their schedules and equipment in an effort to balance their expenditure and increase profits.”

Minister Bartlett in seeking the support of the UNWTO in effecting changes to the present regime said “the UNWTO is therefore urged to take note of these trends and to begin collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), among others, to protect the industry and the growth projection of the 2030 objectives.”

Bartlett also used the international platform to call on all tourism interests in the Caribbean to join in the debate regarding the reversal or adjustment being sought in the application of the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD) on travelers from the United Kingdom to this region.

He said the debate should continue given the fact that the UK Government was facing growing opposition even within its own Parliament over plans to increase the rate of APD.
The APD was introduced by the British Government in 1994. Since then there have been increases in 2009 and in 2010.

In illustrating the effect the ADP has on air travel to the Caribbean, Bartlett said: “the implementation and application of the tax has grave implications for our industry. For example whereas in the past it was much cheaper for a family to travel, today it will cost a family of four travelling economy class to the Caribbean an additional US$478. Even more disheartening is the fact that the mileage bands also create unfair anomalies.”

“It is critical for tourism interests in the Caribbean to remain involved in this debate. It is important for us to speak with one voice on this urgent matter and to collaborate with our colleagues so as to resolve this dilemma. It is also necessary for us to collaborate with our colleagues in the private sector and the Diaspora in the UK to try and eliminate this predicament,” he said.