Low-cost airline Ryanair slams plans to introduce an overnight ‘tourist tax’ in Liverpool city region and warns, that along with Air Passenger Duty, it threatens the growth of the £7bn visitor economy. Tony McDonough reports
Ryanair is a long-time critic of the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD) and is dismayed at new plans to introduce a so-called ‘tourism tax’ in Liverpool city region.
Last week the Irish carrier announced six new winter routes out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA). It means in what is traditionally its quieter half of the year, Ryanair will operate 27 European routes from its six Liverpool-based aircraft.
However, announcing the routes Ryanair’s chief marketing officer Dara Brady claimed the future growth of the ailrine at Liverpool and across the UK was being threatened by a growing tax burden.
In December 2025, Ryanair‘s chief commercial officer Jason McGuinness told LBN that Air Passenger Duty, which adds £15 to flights leaving the UK, was costing Liverpool city region £200m a year in lost investment.
Dara repeated that sentiment adding the introduction of an overnight visitor levy of around £2 a night would further hinder the city region’s visitor economy which is now worth almost £7bn a year.
City region Mayor Steve Rotheram is keen to introduce the levy which he claims could generate £18m a year that could be reinvested into the visitor economy. It would replace the current Accommodation BID overnight levy which covers just Liverpool city centre.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has given the go-ahead to give Mr Rotheram this new power but Dara said that APD and the tourist tax would create a double whammy and hinder further growth.
He explained: “The EU has become uncompetitive and we are seeking elements of that creeping into the UK. We have been growing in places such as Sweden which was the home of flight-shaming and has now scrapped its aviation tax, and Tirana. They are getting massive growth.
“Unfortunately they are going in the opposite direction in the UK where taxes are increasing and new taxes are being introduced. Visitors to the UK will face double taxation – they will have an APD tax and a visitor tax.
“That is usually damaging and is the fastest route to losing visitors, not increasing them. We obviously call for the scrapping of APD. If it was scrapped we could go from 62m passengers to 80m passengers a year in the UK.
“That would transform growth in the UK market. There would be 200 additional routes so there would be a huge opportunity. It would mean scrapping a tax worth £2.5bn but the economic benefit from scrapping the tax would mean more planes and more jobs.
“We have been operating out of Liverpool for a very long time, this is a very successful market for us, as is the UK. But we think the Government could do more with taxation to stimulate growth that will support regions such as Liverpool.
“And it is very important, more so for regions such as Liverpool. Cities such as London will always be fine but it is regions such as Liverpool that have a very strong tourism economy and are really penalised by taxation. We want to keep growing here at Liverpool.”