The Price of Failing to Reform Visas: €114 Billion

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, President, ETC, said: " - essential

Visitors from long-haul source markets are particularly valuable because they stay longer and spend more /day. However, Europe's visa regimes are among the most restrictive in the world. 56% of visitors from non-European markets in 2014 required a visa.

Vice-President and Coordinator of ETC's visa advocacy work, explained visa reform is possible without compromising security or immigration control and explored three possible scenarios: First is the adoption of "Best Practice" improvements to ease administrative burdens for tourists, such as the implementation of simplified application processes, reduced fees, and longer durations. Second is introduction of new visa types, particularly electronic visas and visas on arrival. Third is growing the number of 'visa-waiver' countries.

According to reforming visas to adopt the 'Best Practice' policies for Europe's top ten, visa-constrained, priority markets would stimulate 3.4 million additional arrivals /year. This would generate €18.3 billion in associated spending up to 2020 and 95,000 new jobs.

New visa types (eVisa or visa on arrival) would deliver 8.5 million more visitors /year, €45 billion in additional spending and more than 200,000 additional jobs. The largest benefits would flow from a complete visa waiver for these markets, driving 21.8 million additional arrivals /year. By 2020, this would create €114 billion in new export revenue and 615,000 additional jobs.

The (WTTC) recommended governments to embrace visa facilitation, proactively. , Vice-President Government and Industry Affairs, WTTC, said: "V ." WTTC has studied the potential impact of visa reform on the G20 economies and assesses 3.1 million additional direct tourism-related jobs and 5.1 million jobs overall would be created. The G20 could see growth in tourist arrivals of 16% and an increase in international tourism receipts of 21% in just three years. This represents a gain of 112 million additional international tourists, spending US$206 billion .

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For further information, please contact Paul Baldwin on +44-(0)7920-207-880, Paul.Baldwin@Tarsh.com.