Northern Ireland faces a potential tourism crisis as the UK’s new requirement that travelers register and pay a fee before they start their journeys threatens to deter international visitors, particularly those crossing from the Republic of Ireland.
The entry permit—which costs £10, or about $12—became mandatory for non-European travelers on January 8. Called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), the permits could significantly impact Northern Ireland’s tourism sector.
European travelers will need to comply starting in April. However, Irish citizens are not required to obtain an ETA, meaning their visits will not be affected. Others not impacted by the new permits include those with permission to live, work, or study in the UK.
Travelers must obtain the new ETA online. Officials recommend that travelers apply at least three days in advance to ensure approval on time for travel.
The process could “deter many from including Northern Ireland in their travel plans, as part of their trip to Ireland,” Judith Owens, CEO of Titanic Belfast and chair of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance, told Skift. About 70% of travel visits to Northern Ireland are part of trips including the Republic of Ireland.
The new permits risked jeopardizing an estimated £210 million (about $260 million) in annual revenue and “diminishing our global tourism appeal,” Owens said.
Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy said recent research across international markets found that due to the introduction of the ETA requirements, 1 in 4 people in Europe and 1 in 5 people in North America said they would make the decision not to visit. (Tourism Ireland conducted the research in November as an online survey with outbound holidaymakers.)
Seeking “Complete Exemption”
Economy Minister Conor Murphy said in a press statement that he had met with the UK’s Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, to outline his concerns.
Seamless all-island travel was “key to building on the growth we have seen in our tourism sector,” Murphy said.
“I have made it clear to Minister Malhotra that solutions to the ETA Scheme are needed to protect the north’s tourism sector,” he said. “Ideally, a complete exemption should be introduced for those crossing into the North but not traveling onto Britain.”
Murphy suggested a time-limited exemption for people visiting up to 7 days, covering most of Northern Ireland’s international visitors.
“The existing exemption for French school groups shows that a solution is perfectly possible. A similar, pragmatic, and flexible approach could be taken by the Home Office to avoid damaging tourism growth in the north,” he added.
Without a valid ETA, visitors can be denied entry at border control, even if they’re only passing through for a connecting flight. Belfast airports could lose a share of passengers to airports in the Republic of Ireland, where passengers won’t face any fee.
In response to a request for comment, a UK Home Office spokesperson said the government was “committed to working closely” with stakeholders to “mitigate against it being seen as a barrier to cross-border tourism in Ireland.”
