Call for ‘pragmatic’ solution to Brexit block on tourists

Stormont’s Economy Minister Conor Murphy is warning that new British government red tape will have a “devastating impact” on tourism in Ireland.

The British government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) went live this week. Brought in as a result of Brexit, it means that non-European travellers are supposed to obtain a travel authorisation to gain entry into British jurisdiction – including the north of Ireland.

As most international visitors to the north of Ireland enter through the south, it means that anyone wishing to travel over the border is theoretically to apply online, at a cost of £10.

In practice, holidaymakers crossing the border are unlikely to face checks, but tourism chiefs fear that many visitors will think twice about visiting the North in order to avoid any hassle.

Findings from a recent survey across found that due to the introduction of the ETA requirements one in four people in Europe, and one in five people in North America say they would make the decision not to cross the border.

Stormont’s Economy Minister Conor Murphy has met with Seema Malhotra MP, British Minister for Migration and Citizenship, to outline his concerns.

“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 travelling on to Britain. At the very least a time-limited exemption for people visiting up to seven days would cover most of our 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.”

The Minister added: “Our all-island economy is vital, and seamless all-island travel is key to building on the growth we have seen in our tourism sector. I share the strong concerns expressed by the tourism and travel industry here and will continue to press the British Government for a solution to this challenging issue.”

Other Brexit tensions have been fading as Britain’s trading relationships with Europe grew closer following the change of government in London.

Nevertheless, in December, unionist politicians opposed a renewal of the Windsor Framework, which gives the north of Ireland special trade status with the EU. Last week they ‘pulled the Stormont Brake’, formally objecting to a new labelling of chemical products, but without any effect as it was overruled by London.

Speaking at Stormont, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill said politicians had to find “pragmatic and reasonable” ways to deal with outstanding Brexit-related issues as they arose.

“Let’s not have stop-start - let’s create the stability and the certainty that the business community would require,” the Sinn Féin vice-president said.

Urgent Appeal