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British MP Dhesi seeks direct flight service from Amritsar to London  

BRITAIN’S first turbaned Sikh MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi met Indian ministers in New Delhi and urged them to start a direct flight service between India’s Amritsar and London.

The Indian-origin British MP met country’s civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri and minister of state for commerce and industry Som Parkash last week to for a new flight service between the two cities.


Dhesi sought the new flight service in a bid to fulfill the long-pending demand of a large number of Punjabi diaspora and people of Punjab.

Commenting on his demand for a new flight service, the UK MP said: “Since being elected, I have been taking the legitimate demand of the diaspora community for direct flights to Amritsar from London to Indian ministers.

“In addition to boosting trade, tourism, and cultural ties between both nations, it will no doubt prove lucrative for operators, since Amritsar is visited by millions each year.

“It’s high time there is a direct link between the global centre of London and the spiritual centre of Amritsar.”

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London tourist levy

The capital recorded 89 m overnight stays in 2024

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London to introduce tourist levy that could raise £240 million a year

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Highlights

  • Government expected to give London powers to bring in a tourist levy on overnight stays.
  • GLA study says a £1 fee could raise £91m, a 5 per cent charge could generate £240m annually.
  • Research suggests London would not see a major fall in visitor numbers if levy introduced.
The mayor of London has welcomed reports that he will soon be allowed to introduce a tourist levy on overnight visitors, with new analysis outlining how a charge could work in the capital.
Early estimates suggest a London levy could raise as much as £240 m every year. The capital recorded 89 m overnight stays in 2024.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give Sadiq Khan and other English city leaders the power to impose such a levy through the upcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. London currently cannot set its own tourist tax, making England the only G7 nation where national government blocks local authorities from doing so.

A spokesperson for the mayor said City Hall supported the idea in principle, adding “The Mayor has been clear that a modest tourist levy, similar to other international cities, would boost our economy, deliver growth and help cement London’s reputation as a global tourism and business destination.”

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