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From tomorrow non European visitors to Newry and the north in general are expected to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they visit. This will have to be applied for in advance and includes visitors from USA, Canada and Australia. It's part of a UK wide scheme and will cost £10 and lasts for two years. UK and Irish citizens and permanent Irish residents will not require an ETA.
Economy Minister Conor Murphy believes it will have a devastating impact on tourism here and wants the British Government to find a solution for Northern Ireland. With 67% of overseas tourists arriving here via the south of Ireland there is a risk that the extra hassle involved could mean many just staying away, especially when for many travellers it's a last minute decision to travel north of the border.
How the application of the ETA scheme will work on the ground in the border area is unknown. Permanent border checkpoint were ruled out as part of the Brexit negotiations and whether the PSNI will enforce the scheme with spot checks remains to be seen.
The scheme was announced in 2023 and from 2 April 2025 eligible European visitors will also be expected to get an ETA.
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 our tourism economy and to seek a solution.
The Minister 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 7 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, CEO of Titanic Belfast and Chair of the NI Tourism Alliance (NITA), expressed significant concerns regarding the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. Ms Owens 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."
