IATA – International Air Transport Association has criticised the proposal to increase the value of Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETAs) for the United Kingdom.

“Proposing to increase the costs of ETAs just a week after the system was introduced is baffling. If implemented, it would be a self-inflicted blow to the competitiveness of UK tourism,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, quoted in a press release.

The IATA official believes that the increase in the cost of these visas jeopardizes the target set by British authorities, which estimate a 30% increase in tourist arrivals by 2030, to 50 million tourists, with Willie Walsh even arguing that the 60% increase in the price of these visas would be a “bad start”.

IATA says this increase would be on top of the ADP, a special tax on air passengers departing from UK airports, which will rise again in April and which the association says is “the largest travel tax in the world”.

“It is time for the UK government to look at the bigger picture. They have everything to gain from making the UK a more cost-competitive travel destination — including the substantial tax revenues that travellers generate. There is no point in discouraging visitors with high costs before they even set foot in the country,” argues Willie Walsh.

IATA also points out that aviation and tourism represent 1.6 million jobs in the United Kingdom, as well as a contribution of 160.7 billion dollars to British GDP.