UKinbound has expressed its shock at the Government’s decision to scrap a visa waiver agreement for 11 countries, and says the move could damage trade relations and outbound tourism as well as badly affecting inbound tourism from some key emerging markets.
 
The Home Office and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) last week announced that in early 2009 they intend to re-introduce visas for 11 countries which currently have visa waiver agreements with the UK Government. This was, they said, due to those countries not meeting the "strict criteria to determine the level of risk they pose to the UK in terms of illegal immigration, crime and security standards set by the UK Government" and would "introduce visa requirements for short-term visitors from these countries unless they significantly reduce the risk they pose to the UK by the end of the year".  Such a move is unprecedented and, if implemented, is likely to result in reciprocal action from the countries concerned.
 
The 11 countries named by the Home Office are Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
 
UKinbound is concerned about the impact this will have on export tourism.  Three of the 11 countries targeted, Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa, are key emerging markets who in 2006 accounted for 548,000 visitors to the UK worth over £456 million in foreign currency earning.  Residents of these countries will certainly reconsider choosing the UK if the onerous biometric visa application process at £65 per person is added to the cost of their holiday.  These three countries and Trinidad and Tobago are also a huge part of the visiting friends and family market, which is estimated at around 30% of all inbound visits, and could also suffer as a consequence.
 
But this issue should also be of concern for British citizens trading with or wishing to travel to these countries.  The very real possibility of new visa requirements for UK travellers could mean a huge increase in cost and inconvenience for business trips and tourists wishing to visit some of their favourite destinations.  
 
Stephen Dowd Chief Executive of UKinbound said:  "Whilst supporting the concept of strong and secure borders for the United Kingdom we are, like many other organisations, deeply concerned that these measures, just like the chaotic introduction of biometric visas, are an ill conceived overreaction by UKBA prompted by the desire of the Home Office to be seen to be tough on illegal immigration irrespective of the damage to trading links with these countries of which tourism is just one of many. 
 
"This important change was made without consultation with the tourism industry and announced on the very day that the latest House of Commons Select Committee report on tourism was published.  That report contained the following comment about the current visa regime “the committee is deeply concerned that the consequences for tourism appear not to have been considered by the Home Office”, an observation that applies equally well in this instance."