The Tourism Alliance welcomes Transport Secretary’s statement on Gatwick and urges a final decision be made soon

The Tourism Alliance – the trade association for the UK tourism industry – welcomes today’s announcement that the Transport Secretary is minded to approve Gatwick’s northern runway plan and has urged her to make a final decision as quickly as possible.

Richard Toomer, Executive Director of the Tourism Alliance, said:

“Gatwick already plays an extremely important role in the visitor economy nationally, and especially for London and the South East, serving a wide variety of long- and short-haul destinations, with a strong leisure and business, inbound and outbound mix.

“We welcome the Transport Secretary’s announcement that she is minded to approve the scheme subject to further consultation with stakeholders.

“A final decision to approve the plan – after what will have been a long and extensive process – would ensure that Gatwick can grow sustainably, deliver more economic growth for the region and the nation, and help the Government deliver its tourism growth ambitions. We hope that final decision is made quickly and positively.

“As an island nation that loves to travel, and loves to welcome people to its shores, air travel is incredibly important for our visitor economy will continue to be so. 88% of our international visitors arrive by air. The key is to ensure that future growth is environmentally sensitive and sustainable, and we are confident that the industry is investing in the technologies and infrastructure to make this happen with Government support.

“As important as robust connectivity is, we must also make sure to remain an attractive destination for our international visitors on cost. That is why the Government should reconsider its decision to hike the new ETA fee for non-visa nationals by 60% and commit to tackling our high visa fees.”