A major travel industry group in the UK, UKinbound, is worried about recently announced increases in visa fees. The British government plans to raise the amount travelers, students, and workers have to pay for certain types of visas. Businesses that hire skilled workers from other countries will also see their costs more than double.

The government expects to make an extra £400 million from these increased fees by the years 2029 and 2030. However, UKinbound believes this decision will hurt the country’s tourism industry. The group’s leader, Joss Croft, says it’s disappointing that the government is raising visa costs when they also want to attract more international visitors. He argues that making travel to the UK more expensive goes against the government’s goal of growing tourism.

Croft also points out that the travel industry in the UK is already struggling with very high costs. Raising visa fees even more will make the UK less attractive to international visitors. He mentioned that the cost of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) has already gone up by 60%, and this is the third time visa fees have increased in just a year and a half. UKinbound is asking the government to take a close look at all the costs and taxes that affect tourism as part of their upcoming tourism strategy.

These new, higher fees are scheduled to take effect on April 10, 2025.