ETA Scheme Risks Damaging Tourism – Murphy

Tourism Minister, Conor Murphy, has renewed calls for the Home Office to reconsider its implementation of a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, warning of its potential to severely damage the region's tourism sector.

The scheme, which requires non-European travellers to obtain an ETA before entering the UK, enters its next phase tomorrow, 8th January.

Minister Murphy recently met with Home Office Minister Seema Malhotra MP to express his concerns and has since submitted further evidence highlighting the anticipated negative impacts of the ETA scheme on Northern Ireland's tourism economy. He has urged the UK Government to find a solution that mitigates these risks.

Conor Murphy said: "I have made it clear to Minister Malhotra that solutions to the ETA Scheme are needed to protect the north’s tourism sector. Ideally a complete exemption should be introduced for those crossing into the north but not travelling on to Britain. At the very least a time-limited exemption for people visiting up to 7 days would cover most of our international visitors.

"The existing exemption for French school groups shows that a solution is perfectly possible. A similar, pragmatic, and flexible approach could be taken by the Home Office to avoid damaging tourism growth in the north." Key findings from recent Tourism Ireland Sentiment Research across international markets found that due to the introduction of the ETA requirements 1 in 4 people in Europe, and 1 in 5 people in North America say they would make the decision not to travel.

The Minister added: "Our all-island economy is vital, and seamless all-island travel is key to building on the growth we have seen in our tourism sector. I share the strong concerns expressed by the tourism and travel industry here and will continue to press the British Government for a solution to this challenging issue."

Judith Owens MBE, CEO of Titanic Belfast and Chair of the NI Tourism Alliance (NITA) expressed significant concerns regarding the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.

She said: "The introduction of the ETA scheme poses a substantial threat to Northern Ireland's tourism sector. With approximately 70% of our international visitors entering via the Republic of Ireland and crossing the land border, the additional requirement of obtaining an ETA could deter many from including Northern Ireland in their travel plans. This not only jeopardises an estimated £210 million in annual revenue but also risks diminishing our global tourism appeal. These visitors represent approximately 1% of total international visitors to the UK and we urgently call on the UK Government to agree to an exemption to mitigate these adverse impacts and safeguard the future of our tourism industry."