Northern Ireland tourism at risk from electronic travel scheme – civil servant

Tourism to Northern Ireland could be damaged by a new travel system, a civil servant has warned

There is a “real risk” to tourism in Northern Ireland from the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, a senior civil servant has said.

An ETA is set to become a requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the UK, although it will not apply to Irish citizens as they have a right to travel to any part of the UK under the Common Travel Area.

Speaking at a tourism event in Belfast, Ian Snowden, permanent secretary at Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, praised the recovery in the sector following the coronavirus pandemic, but warned challenges remain.

“We can’t be complacent. There is a lot to be positive about but there is also a long journey still to go to full recovery after the pandemic and we have some new challenges that we have to address,” he told Tourism Ireland’s 2024 marketing plan launch in Belfast.

Ian Snowden, Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland (Liam McBurney/PA)

“I’m sure a lot of you here will have concerns about the UK Government’s proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme.

“There is a real risk here that that might discourage tourists who come to Ireland, including Northern Ireland, as part of their itinerary during their visit, and given that 70% of our overseas visitors travel here via the Republic, getting the operation messaging around that scheme right will be hugely important.

“To that end, the department has been engaging closely with the Home Office about the factors that they need to consider about Northern Ireland and how they develop their communications strategy and how they operate the scheme.

“It seems extraordinary to say this after so much discussion around Brexit but it’s difficult sometimes to encourage UK-based civil servants to understand that the UK has got a land border with a different country.

“But we have to then make sure that they understand how that works in practice, what that border looks like and how it will affect us.

“We’re going to continue to work very hard to make sure that the impact of the ETA is minimised as much as humanly possible.”