Tourism group calls for scrapping of air-travel tax

A group set up by the Government to help Ireland’s tourism industry survive the global recession is recommending the scrapping of the new €10 tax on airline passengers.

The Tourism Renewal Group also says the cost of wages, utilities and local charges must be reduced for tourism operators.

Almost 130,000 people are employed in the Irish tourism industry, making it bigger than agriculture or the finance services industry.

Maurice Pratt, the chairman of the Tourism Renewal Group, said today that the €10 tax on passengers using Irish airports, which was introduced in last year’s budget, was turning people away from visiting Ireland.

The call was welcomed by low-fares airline Ryanair, which has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the tax.

"Rising airport costs and the unavoidable €10 tourist tax is devastating tourism and costing Ireland millions of visitors and thousands of jobs," said Ryanair spokesperson Stephen McNamara.

“It is time this Government reverses this failed tourist tax. They must listen to the Tourism Renewal Group and axe the tourist tax so that Ireland can once again start welcoming tourists instead of taxing them”.