Music industry criticises visa-free touring announcement

The UK Government's announcement that 19 EU countries have agreed to short term visa-free tours for UK artists has been met with frustration from the music industry.

Slovenia and Slovakia are the two latest countries to permit visa-free tours of up to three months for UK musicians and performers.

Arrangements were already agreed or were not required for 17 other nations.

LIVE CEO Greg Parmley said the announcement is "nothing new", adding the industry is still a "long way off" visa-free travel.

Musicians' Union General Secretary Horace Trubridge questioned if negotiations had progressed at all, with the three month agreement in place with some of the declared countries before negotiations began.

Featured Artists Coalition CEO David Martin said the announcement was actually an "admission of failure" despite the positive spin.

“It remains that the UK’s music industry is in a far less advantageous position now than it was pre-January.”