In time of recession, many countries look to curb taxes and charges that directly impact on travel and tourism.

Hence the Dutch and Belgians, among others, have temporarily reduced or suspended airport charges. The Kenyans have halved visa fees. And the French have slashed VAT on restaurant meals.

It is not a position the British government cares for - quite the reverse. In April, the Treasury announced plans to increase air passenger duty by up to 112 per cent in November.

That means an extra £600 in taxes for a family of four flying to the Caribbean.

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Hammering fliers is an ingrained tax raising revenue by both airports and government - buy a £250 flight to New York today and 80 per cent of that will be taxes and charges.

Now, just as airlines and airports report plunging passenger figures this year, the government has decided to raise passport fees again, to £77.50.

It represents an 85 per cent increase within four years - at a time when travel is collapsing.

Stansted airport saw passenger numbers fall by 20 per cent over the Spring Bank Holiday compared to last year. The number of trips abroad taken by Britons also fell in March for the fifth consecutive month.

In November, 2008 - traditionally the second quietest month for travel, after December - some 5.49m trips were taken abroad. But by March, when travel picks up, the figure had slumped to 5.01m.

In the first three months of 2009, 14 per cent fewer trips were taken compared to the same period last year. The big holiday firms, Tui and Thomas Cook, both confirmed sales are down by 12-14 per cent this year.

So this year will see the biggest-ever fall in travel from the UK.

But, in a totally-non-ironic way, the government and Identity and Passport Service is blaming the slump in demand for travel as the reason for hiking fares from September 3 to an eye-watering £77.50 (up from £72) for an adult and £49 for a child (£46). Renewal fee hikes are even steeper.

To quote Frankie Howard, my flabber has never been so gastered.

Look: when demand for travel falls, airlines lose a fortune. Tour operators, villa owners and guesthouses have to sell cheap, market furiously and still see a downturn. People don't travel as much because they can't afford to.

Yet the government uses the severe downturn to actually raise prices. It really is extraordinary.

The Identity and Passport Service says it has to maintain security and a high, professional service. It also says that it is the first rise since October, 2007.

What the IPS doesn't say is that three years ago, a new passport cost only £51. And the year before that, £42. So within four years, the cost will have risen from £42 to £77.50 - a rise of around 85 per cent.

Enviromentalists opposing runway expansion and an increase in flying need not worry: the Government is doing their job for them - keep APD and passport fees rising at this rate and they'll be digging up the runways for allotments within a decade.

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