Family holidays abroad are becoming significantly more expensive due to green taxes, a leading travel company executive has warned. Garry Wilson, the chief executive of easyJet Holidays, criticised the introduction of environmental fees by some destinations, arguing that without a clear connection between the funds raised and sustainability initiatives, bookings could decrease.
Spain, Greece and Tunisia, all popular with UK tourists, either charge green taxes or have plans to introduce them. Speaking at the annual convention of travel trade organisation Abta in Costa Navarino, Greece, Mr Wilson expressed concern over destinations that suffered significant losses due to Covid-19 travel restrictions deciding that tourists should pay various fees.
He said: “They’re named the ‘green tax’ or ‘climate resilience’ or whatever it might be. Whilst I understand the ethos, (we need to) understand what you’re doing with that money.”
He added that if the revenue simply “goes into a big pot”, holidaymakers will perceive it as just another way to extract more money from them. Mr Wilson warned that taxes related to travel are continually increasing.
He elaborated: “There has to be real thought put into what impact this is going to have on demand. The way it’s being treated at the moment by a lot of destinations isn’t necessarily helping build confidence and demand.”
A recent Abta survey showed that 38% think travel firms should manage holiday impacts on the environment and locals, not the individuals themselves. Meanwhile, 22% disagreed and 40% sat on the fence. Top concerns included cultural preservation, waste management, and animal welfare, the poll revealed.
Abta boss Mark Tanzer said: “The ultimate goal for travel is to have great places to visit that are also great places to live. If a destination intends to introduce a visitor charge as part of its tourism management, then it needs to make clear how that money is going back to support the local community and local people. Otherwise, these charges will only serve to add costs to consumers, without addressing the tourism issues important to local residents.”
The survey, reaching a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults, was conducted by The Nursery Research and Planning from July 24 to August 2.