Two major cricket events are to take place in Belfast later this summer involving India and Afghanistan
Belfast Council is to write to the UK Home Office to criticise the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, and to warn that thousands of Indian cricket fans are being turned off from visiting Belfast for major international matches against Ireland.
Elected representatives at City Hall have unanimously agreed for council officials to state that the ETA is negatively affecting international sporting events in the city, especially cricket this year.
Two major cricket events are to take place in Belfast later this summer. The first is the Men’s International T20Is between Ireland and India, on June 26 and 28, at the Civil Service Cricket Club, also known as the Stormont Cricket Ground. Ireland against Afghanistan in the three games will take place there on August 10, 12, and 14.
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The Electronic Travel Authorisation is a digital permission required for non-visa nationals to travel to countries for short stays, a pass created as a result of Brexit. Depending on the destination, it serves as mandatory pre-travel screening, electronically linked to a passport. It costs £10, and British and Irish citizens are exempt.
It has caused controversy since its inception and introduction in Northern Ireland last year. Critics say the digital permit creates an invisible border for tourists traveling across the island.
Businesses argue that the cost, bureaucracy, and need to apply in advance deters spontaneous cross-border travel, and estimate anything between a quarter and three quarters of potential visitor spend coming to Northern Ireland from international countries could be at risk.
Ireland is often promoted as a single tourist destination, and critics add many international tourists don’t know they are crossing an international border when driving from the Republic into Northern Ireland
At the full meeting of Belfast City Council for June SDLP Councillor Donal Lyons said: “There are two international cricket games coming up in Belfast in the Stormont Pavillion against India.
“I was contacted by a couple of community groups in the Republic, and separately on the same issue by a tour operator in Belfast, pointing out that the 50 to 60,000 Indian citizens who live in the Republic of Ireland who are very keen on cricket are facing an economic barrier from attending this match. Which is less than two hours drive up the road from Dublin.
“It is the Electronic Travel Authorisation. Beyond the nonsense, overblown rhetoric and grandstanding (on this), we have overlooked what is the lived reality and economic impact. We are depriving ourselves of, let’s say, 50 percent of that, which is over 20,000 people interested in coming to our city for a sporting event which will have a television audience of 100 million.
“So we are depriving our city of that because of the short-sighted, needless Electronic Travel Authorisation. I have no interest in going back to the nonsense and the rhetoric-driven hatred from 10 years ago, but I will point out the tenth anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox.”
He said: “When this ETA was brought in in April 2025, the Home Office suggested they would give it a tourist season or two to see the impact. What I would like to propose here is we write to the Home office, pointing out that a major international sporting event in Belfast is already excluding and putting barriers up to a huge number of people who would come and spend money in our city”
The chamber unanimously agreed to the councillor’s proposal.
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