AQW 10060/22-27

Mr Matthew O'Toole
Social Democratic and Labour Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 12/04/2024
Answered On Date: 29/04/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether his Department has made an assessment of the economic cost of the new Electronic Travel Authorisation on the tourism sector.

Answer:

I am concerned about the impact of the introduction of the British Government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme on our tourism sector. I have met with the NI Tourism Alliance to discuss this vital issue and to hear at first hand the industry’s concerns.

Tourism is performing extremely well with the number of external overnight visitors quadrupling between 1998 and 2019. Seamless all-island travel is key to this growth. In 2019, international visitors (who will require an ETA when introduced) contributed £220 million to the local economy and it is this expenditure that could be impacted by the introduction of the ETA scheme.

I have written to Tom Pursglove MP, the Minister for Legal Migration and the Border at the British Home Office to seek an urgent meeting to discuss solutions that would protect our tourism industry.