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Tourists will be ‘double taxed’ under Labour plans, says Ryanair boss

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Cite

Shead, R. (2026, September 23). Tourists will be ‘double taxed’ under Labour plans, says Ryanair boss. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/government-ryanair-labour-burnham-b1298112.html

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Evening Standard · collected 2026-09-23 · by Rosie Shead

Quick Summary

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticized Labour's proposed hotel tax for tourists as a form of "double taxation" since travelers already pay Air Passenger Duty (APD). Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, O'Leary warned that the airline might shift operations to other European destinations if the levy is implemented. He urged Labour leader John Burnham to abolish APD and support aviation and tourism growth across all regions. Hospitality leaders fear the uncapped tax could cost the industry up to £1.6 billion.
Written by AI on 2026-09-23, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On Wednesday in London, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticized Labour's proposed tourist tax as a "double taxation" scheme for visitors already paying Air Passenger Duty (APD). The new levy would allow regional mayors to impose additional taxes on hotel nights without an upper limit, although most anticipate it will be a few percent. O'Leary argued that tourists are being unfairly taxed twice and warned Ryanair might shift operations to tax-free European destinations if the plan proceeds. He urged Labour leader Mr Burnham to focus on boosting aviation and tourism across all regions by abolishing APD instead of imposing further taxes.

Written for “UK Tourism Tax Plans” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 UK Tourism Tax Plans
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Daily Mail
Hedges 2 of 21 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of the same issue (the proposed holiday tax) but describe separate events - one is about a political pledge to scrap the tax, and the other is an industry leader commenting on the implications of the tax.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
13
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
1 of 13 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
65/100
Evening Standard's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-23 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Evening Standard · 7934 article(s) · 65 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 65 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Rosie Shead
13 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Ms Ross said she has not “been able to face getting back on a train” since the incident and is not sure when she will again.
🔮 Motorists will also be given 10 minutes to leave car parks without facing a penalty once their session ends under a new private parking code of practice.
🔮 “This means holidaymakers could save themselves money and cut the cost of their winter sun holiday by doing some basic holiday pricing research before booking.”
🔮 “Our inspectors will continue to check how these risks are being managed.”
🔮 Tourists will be ‘double taxed’ under Labour plans, says Ryanair boss
🔮 Heidi Alexander told the Times newspaper she would meet Sir Warren East, the former chief executive of Rolls-Royce who is chair of the Nats board, in the coming weeks, and that she had had a “full and frank conversation” with Mr Rolfe where she had expressed her “anger at the situation”.
🔮 According to Ryanair, more than 25,000 of its passengers were expected to be disrupted and more than 140 of its flights had been delayed on Monday.
🔮 According to Ryanair, more than 25,000 of its passengers were expected to be disrupted and more than 140 of its flights had been delayed on Monday.
🔮 It is crucial that our national infrastructure is fit for the future, and this government will make sure the aviation sector is as resilient as possible, so passengers can get to where they need to be.”
🔮 “It is crucial that our national infrastructure is fit for the future, and this government will make sure the aviation sector is as resilient as possible, so passengers can get to where they need to be.”
Also by Rosie Shead
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 13 articles by Rosie Shead →

Topics

APD Government Labour London Ryanair

Subjects

Ryanair ORG · 2× APD ORG · 1× Burnham PERSON · 1× Government ORG · 1× Labour ORG · 1× London GPE · 1× Michael O’Leary PERSON · 1× O’Leary PERSON · 1× Westminster GPE · 1×

Narrative

He said: “We call on (the Prime Minister) Mr Burnham if he’s really serious about delivering growth in every postcode – the only way to do that is to boost aviation and tourism, which can be turned on or turned off instantaneously and can deliver growth in every region, in every airport, in every region.”
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-23
🔮 Tourists will be ‘double taxed’ under Labour plans, says Ryanair boss
2026-09-23 · Evening Standard
Tourists will be ‘double taxed’ under Labour plans, says Ryanair boss · assertive framing

Claims (13 extracted, 1 hedged)

Tourists will be ‘double taxed’ under Labour plans, says Ryanair boss asserted
boss → tax → plans
It is understood the levy would have no upper limit, though Government sources said mayors were unlikely to make it too costly, with most indicating it would be a few percent. asserted
it → understand → limit
Speaking at a press conference in London on Wednesday, Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary said he was not opposed to the plans but argued it would mean tourists were “double taxed” as they already paid APD. asserted
they → speak → APD
Mr O’Leary said that if the plans went ahead, the airline would look at switching some operations to “zero-tax, lower-cost destinations elsewhere in Europe”. asserted
airline → say → Europe
He said: “We call on (the Prime Minister) Mr Burnham if he’s really serious about delivering growth in every postcode – the only way to do that is to boost aviation and tourism, which can be turned on or turned off instantaneously and can deliver growth in every region, in every airport, in every region.” asserted
which → say → region
He said: “We don’t have any great fundamental philosophical difference with his regional tax, where you allow the regional mayors to add a tax on hotel nights, but that is a double tax on tourism. asserted
that → say → tourism
You can’t tax tourists on the way into the UK and then double tax them for the hotel night.” asserted
You → tax → night
Hospitality chiefs have previously warned they believe the uncapped proposals for the new tax could cost the UK hospitality and tourism industry up to £1.6 billion. uncertain
proposals → warn → billion
Meanwhile, APD rates, which are based on the length of the flight and the class of cabin, increased in April. asserted
which → base → April
Passengers travelling in economy are currently charged £8 for a domestic flight and £15 for a short-haul flight, up to 2,000 miles. asserted
Passengers → travel → miles
Airlines have long called for APD – which is imposed on flights from most UK airports – to be reduced or cut, claiming this would lead to an increase in demand for travel. asserted
this → call → travel
A Government spokesperson said: “Mayors and local leaders have been given this new power as part of a historic devolution drive that shifts power out of Westminster and into local hands. asserted
that → say → hands
“Every other G7 country already has some form of visitor levy, and all funds raised will be invested in the local economy, from high streets to public transport and events that boost tourism and drive good growth – benefitting visitors, businesses and local people.” asserted
that → have → visitors
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