Since the air passenger duty was introduced in 1994, no study has been done about its economic impacts. If we are to levy the highest air tax in the world, surely we must understand the economic impact of doing so.

The simple message for the Chancellor coming out of this Budget from the travel industry is this: we support your efforts to make the UK the most competitive place to do business in the world, but to do this we need you to apply that logic to every tax, not just the ones voters have heard about.

In the next few months, VisitEngland will spend some £4 million encouraging Brits to holiday at home instead of going abroad for their summer break.

So next time you buy a flight ticket and wonder why it is more expensive, we can all be clear - it is because Mr Osborne chose not to reform Air Passenger Duty and make the tax on flying fairer. This was his opportunity to show he was listening to the concerns of holidaymakers and business travellers. He failed comprehensively to do so. It is very disappointing.

Air Passenger Duty is a poorly understood tax. Research conducted last year found that just one in three passengers look at the proportion of tax they pay on flights. If more passengers did, they might be in for a surprise.