International tourism officials warns of excessive taxes

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A senior international tourism official has warned that increased taxes on air transportation and tourism will damage economies and reduce travel to destinations such as the Caribbean.
Addressing the 24th annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development (STC-14) here on Monday night, Carlos Vogeler, the regional director for the Americas within the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said taxes on tourism are an all too common occurrence.
“While properly constituted taxes and duties are a fundamental and a legitimate fiscal tool of governments worldwide, there is a growing concern regarding a proliferation of levies on both air transport and tourism.