Thanks to the DUP the government's new travel authorisation scheme will 'put a quarter of tourism spend in the north at risk'

Changes by British government to the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme have been criticised by leading tourism body. 

Changes to the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme have been announced 

                  9th March, 2023. 

The NI Tourism Alliance (NITA) is "dismayed" that the government "refused to adapt the ETA scheme to reflect the North of Ireland's unique position as the only part of the UK with a land border". Legislation on how the scheme would work was laid down in the House of Parliament yesterday. It will require overseas visitors/tourists passing from the South of Ireland into the North of Ireland to have additional (which the visitors/tourists must pay-for-themselves) paid-for authorisation.

But a previous requirement stipulated a requirement for non-Irish EU citizens living in the South that they had to apply for the ETA if they wished to cross into the North of Ireland has been dropped. Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA. 

There will be no exemption for tourists from overseas wanting to visit the North of Ireland, which the NITA said puts 25 per cent of annual tourism revenue at risk (thanks to the 8 DUP ministers who voted for it). 

"Despite extensive discussions between NITA and the Home Office, including (apparently) cross-community support from NI MPs, we are dismayed that the government has refused to adapt the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to reflect NI's unique position as the only part of the UK with a land border," Dr Joanne Stuart of the NITA said. 

" With over 70 per cent of our visitors arriving via Dublin it is clear that the bureaucracy and potential costs involved in obtaining an ETA will lead to overseas visitors dropping NI from their travel plans. This puts 25 per cent of all tourism spend in NI at risk." 

These are the eight DUP ministers who voted along with the Tory Party on implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, knowing the damage to tourism it will cause 

"We will need time to scrutinise the detail of the legislation, but we are incredibly disappointed that the government has discounted the evidence provided by the industry and has shown no flexibility to protect seemless travel across the Island of Ireland for most visitors. 

"We believe that a short-term exemption for overseas visitors travelling from Dublin to NI could have been delivered in line with the government's wider policy objectives."

Stephen Farry of Alliance said while the new guidance "now facilitates the tens of thousands of people who cross into the north on a regular basis", 

there is "still an outstanding issue in relation to tourist movements". 

"The majority of international visitors to NI enter via Dublin," he said. 

"Indeed, the Island of Ireland is marketed internationally as a single entity. 

"Any additional bureaucracy could be an impediment or disincentive for tourists to travel up north."

With many thanks to the Irish News and Suzanne McGonagle for the original publication. 

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