Job creation and economic growth at risk as UK raises APD - again
05-Dec-2012 The news that the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer has once again chosen to raise Air Passenger Duty (APD) is economically self-defeating - as research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) continues to show.
Research conducted for WTTC by Oxford Economics earlier this year shows that removing Air Passenger Duty would result in an additional 91,000 British jobs being created and £4.2 billion added to the economy in 12 months.
David Scowsill, WTTC President & CEO, said "Travel & Tourism, of which aviation is the fundamental driver for the UK, generates 2.3 million jobs and contributes over $100 billion to the UK economy every year. While the UK Chancellor's statement stresses the need for the UK economy to find growth opportunities, he has chosen to further tax an industry that helps to sustain millions of jobs in the UK. This tax is damaging the economy at a crucial time, and is having a negative effect on trade with countries in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Rather than recognising the impact of APD on the overall economy and reducing Air Passenger Duty, the UK has opted to further harm the economy and prevent job creation."