The proposal contained in the Tories' Nationalities and Borders Bill would require EU and non-EU citizens who are not Irish to apply online for pre-travel clearance - known as Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) - before entering the UK. The Dublin government has already voiced serious concerns over the plans that would impact on oversea tourists who arrive in the south but hope to travel north during their stay, even for a day visit.
DUP
(Duping Uncritical Protestants)
Industry insiders have criticised the proposal, but DUP leader MP Jeffrey Donaldson has argued that he does not think the move will affect tourism.
Westminster's *orthern Ireland Affairs Committee yesterday heard about the potential impact from representatives of the north's tourist sector, who highlighted how a majority of international travellers who visit the north arrive via Dublin. NI Tourism Alliance's Joanne Stuart said there had been "no consultation" with the industry and she dubbed the scheme "unworkable and completely impractical".
She said visitors wanted "hassle-free travel" and she also voiced concern about how the new rules would impact cross-border workers such as coach drivers. "A not-insignificant amount of these are non-Irish EU nationals, and under these proposals they too would need a visa for every crossing - how can we justify this?" Ms Stuart said.
Tourism NI chief executive John McGrillan said he was concerned tour operators would cut north out of their itineraries. "If ambiguity exists, if explanation is required it will make it much easier for that agent to say, 'I don't need to be bothered with this hassle, it's much easier for me to sell a trip to Cork or Galway or Kerry'," he said. "We reckon that about £160m of visitor spend is at risk," he said. "About half a million visitors we think this could impact on."
British Immigration Minister Kevin Foster said the scheme would begin operating in 2025 and would cost around £10, providing visitors with unhindered travel for a year.
With many thanks to: The Irish News and John Manley for the original publication.
The *orthern Ireland Tourism Commissioner has warned that visitor spending could reach $160 million due to the UK Travel Pass scheme on the Irish border.
FIGURES from the *orthern Ireland tourism industry warn that 160 million visitor spending and 500,000 tourists could be impacted by the US-style visa waiver document plan for cross-border travel.
His impact was explained by the Tourism Commissioner of the *orthern Ireland Affairs Commission after Westminster recently voted on the Nationality and Borders Act.
What the government is proposing means that non-Irish EU citizens must apply for an advance travel authorisation online to cross the border.
Dr Joanne Stuart of the NI Tourism Alliance said the plan had never been consulted with the industry and that a single-item system would not work and would be completely impractical.
Under the new Post-Brexit Immigration and Border Control Act passing through Westminster, non-Irish EU citizens living or visiting the Republic of Ireland will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to cross the *orthern Ireland border.
Last month, the House of Representatives, with a 298 to 216 majority, rejected a Senate amendment to a bill that would repeal the requirement that foreigners need an ETA.
The visa-free style scheme similar to that used in the US does not apply to Irish or UK citizens who are guaranteed free movement around the island under long-standing Common Travel Area (CTA) conditions. agreement.
Industry insiders have criticised the proposal, but DUP leader MP Jeffrey Donaldson has argued that he does not think the move will affect tourism.
The British government also insisted that the ETA process would be straightforward and would not involve (so how then do the British government intend to enforce it?) physical inspections at the border.
Appearing alongside Tourism John McGrillen and Tourism Ireland's Shane Clarke, Dr. Stewart explained industry concerns about the Island by proposing an exemption from the plan.
We were never engaged. "I raised a number of questions for clarification," he said.
People want hassle-free travel. Anything perceived as an additional obstacle or barrier to carrying out the journey is... [they will] I decide to stay in the Republic of Ireland.
We believe that around 160m of visitor spend is at risk. About half a million visitors think this could have an impact.
What we are proposing is that there is an exemption for those who arrive on the island of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland and then travel across land borders to *orthern Ireland. Therefore, an ETA is not required as the travel is within the Island of Ireland.
McGrillen told the committee that many travel agencies in the South are simply afraid of giving up Qtrying to sell packages in *orthern Ireland rather than simply planning.
The fact that such ambiguity exists or requires this level of explanation will make it much easier for the agent to simply say: he said.
It has taken a long time to raise the level of business we have. If you don't make this simple or easy to understand, you risk losing your business again.
Meanwhile, Tourism Ireland's Mr Clarke explained the damage the system could do to the entire island.
"It will not only harm visitors to *orthern Ireland, but it will also harm visitors who want to consider the island of Ireland as another barrier," he said.
"This is an industry that has been kneeling with Covid in the last few years. They really can't believe this kind of regulation has been introduced.
Government Representative Kevin Foster defended the plan, reiterating that there will be no physical inspections of the border and that the system will operate electronically.
The Deputy Home Minister said: This principle has been around for a long tome and works very well.
"For us, this is about a modernized immigration system, a system that is easier to work and operate, and a system that offers many customer service benefits as well as overall border security benefits.
"We see the fact that several comparable countries have already implemented exactly this type of system.
With many thanks to the: Ex Bulletin International for the original publication.
Follow these links to find out more on this story: Ex Bulletin International
Sources
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