UKinbound, the trade association representing the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism sector, has damned the government’s latest visa announcement that recommends the introduction of visitor visas for tourists from Brazil.
Commenting at the announcement, UKinbound chief executive, Mary Rance said: “This is this sort of disappointing and retrograde step from the govt. Last year, it gave the impression of progress was being made during this area as visa restrictions for Chinese visitors were lightened, but now it really does feel like one leap forward and two steps back.
“Visas are recognised as among the biggest barriers to inbound tourism and adding to this with restrictions for the Brazilian market won’t be conducive to the united kingdom economy. Brazil was identified as certainly one of VisitBritain’s key growth markets for 2020 and we should always be encouraging visitors from this ever-expanding economy, not introducing a barrier which may act as a deterrent.
“Over the past 10 years, visitor numbers from Brazil have increased by greater than 250% and it’s been the sole BRIC country not to have UK visitor visa regulations in place. This isn’t a coincidence. Our competitors inside the Schengen zone should not have a comparable visa restriction, so why introduce a barrier to growth within the UK where there currently seriously isn’t one.
“The Government ought to specialize in relaxing the complexity of the visa process and make the united kingdom a competitive destination, not hinder tourism further.”
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