Transport and tourism bosses have called on the UK Government to devolve Air Passenger Duty (APD) to encourage visitors to come to Scotland for the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games.
The major sporting events are being held in Perthshire and Glasgow next year but some industry leaders believe tourists could be put off from flying to the country because of high APD charges.
Late last year Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports commissioned a report that claimed the charge could lead to a drop in both passengers and tourism spending.
The tax could cost the Scottish economy £210 million a year in lost tourism spending by 2016 and could lead to 2.1 million fewer passengers in Scotland’s airports by then, the report claimed.
APD depends on the country an airline passenger is flying from. When flying to any British airport there are four bands based on the distance between London and the capital city of the departure country, ranging from £13 to £184.
The majority of MSPs believe the Scottish Parliament should have control over the aviation tax.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “Scotland will welcome the world in 2014 courtesy of the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, and yet we are in the absurd situation of increasing costs for people who intend to visit Scotland.
“I would urge the UK Government to deliver devolution of APD as soon as possible so that we can develop a regime that makes Scotland more competitive.”
Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: “As we look ahead to the spectacular opportunity to reposition Scottish tourism when Scotland welcomes the world in 2014, I know that the industry is extremely anxious about how accessible and competitive Scotland will be in terms of access by air.”