Economy Minister warns Portrush Open Championship could be hit by new travel scheme

Conor Murphy has again pressed the Home Office to reconsider their implementation of a new scheme that, he says, “will have a devastating impact on tourism in the north of Ireland”.

The Minister was speaking as the next phase of the British Government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme went live. From Wednesday, January 8, non-European travellers must obtain an ETA for entry into the UK.

Minister Murphy recently met with Seema Malhotra MP, Home Office Minister for Migration and Citizenship, to outline his concerns and has since provided additional evidence of the anticipated impacts of the ETA scheme on the tourism economy and to seek a solution.

Mr Murphy said the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement could affect the Open in Portrush with international visitors to the island of Ireland opting not to travel north to attend the much-anticipated golf tournament.

Conor 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. 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.”

Key findings from recent Tourism Ireland Sentiment 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 say they would make the decision not to travel.

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.”

Judith Owens MBE, CEO of Titanic Belfast and Chair of the NI Tourism Alliance (NITA), expressed significant concerns regarding the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.

She said: "The introduction of the ETA scheme poses a substantial threat to Northern Ireland's tourism sector. With approximately 70% of our international visitors entering via the Republic of Ireland and crossing the land border, the additional requirement of obtaining an ETA could deter many from including Northern Ireland in their travel plans.

"This not only jeopardises an estimated £210 million in annual revenue but also risks diminishing our global tourism appeal. These visitors represent approximately 1% of total international visitors to the UK and we urgently call on the UK Government to agree to an exemption to mitigate these adverse impacts and safeguard the future of our tourism industry."