EasyJet Holidays chief executive Garry Wilson hit out at the way some destinations were introducing environmental fees, claiming that failing to demonstrate a “direct link” between the money raised and sustainability schemes would reduce bookings.
Spain, Greece and Tunisia are among locations popular with UK tourists which charge green taxes or have plans to introduce them.
In an interview at the annual convention of travel trade organisation Abta in Costa Navarino, Greece, Mr Wilson said many destinations which suffered huge losses due to coronavirus travel restrictions decided that tourists should pay “this fee and that fee and the next fee”.
He said: “They’re named the ‘green tax’ or ‘climate resilience’ or whatever it might be.
“Whilst I understand the ethos, (we need to) understand what you’re doing with that money.”
Mr Wilson said it was “understandable” if taxes were introduced with a “direct link” to initiatives such as installing systems that automatically switch off air-conditioning and electric sockets when hotel rooms are empty.
If the revenue simply “goes into a big pot”, then holidaymakers will think “this is just a way to get more money out of me”, he warned.
Mr Wilson said taxes were “going up and up and up when it comes to travel”.
He added: “There has to be real thought put into what impact this is going to have on demand.
“The way it’s being treated at the moment by a lot of destinations isn’t necessarily helping build confidence and demand.”
A survey commissioned by Abta indicated that 38% of people believed it was the responsibility of travel companies to manage the impact holidays had on the environment and local residents, rather than their own.
Some 22% disagreed with the statement, while 40% were neutral.
The poll also indicated that the most common areas of concerns about the impact of people’s holidays was preservation of culture and heritage, waste and plastic pollution, and the welfare of animals.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The ultimate goal for travel is to have great places to visit that are also great places to live.
“If a destination intends to introduce a visitor charge as part of its tourism management, then it needs to make clear how that money is going back to support the local community and local people.
“Otherwise, these charges will only serve to add costs to consumers, without addressing the tourism issues important to local residents.”
– The survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults was carried out by The Nursery Research and Planning between July 24 and August 2.
