Scots returning from overseas trips are facing Covid test charges that are up to four times as expensive as English rates.
The Scottish Government has been urged to address the discrepancy by Airlines UK, the Airport Operators Association (AOA), AGS and Edinburgh airports.
Industry experts say higher test costs risk 'pricing Scots out' of the holiday market.
The government confirmed on May 11 that it would adopt a four nations approach to the removal of the travel ban which, on 17 May, was replaced by a traffic light system, with a red, amber and green list of countries mirroring what had previously been confirmed in England.
There is still a requirement for passengers returning from countries on the amber and green lists to take COVID tests.
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Whilst passengers returning to England are permitted to purchase tests from private suppliers, that approach has not been mirrored in Scotland with current regulations explicitly stating tests from private suppliers cannot be used.
A testing package for passengers arriving in Scotland from amber countries is £170 per person and £88pp for those arriving from green listed countries. Some private suppliers are offering testing options for as little as £20pp.
A Scottish Government spokesman said it is exploring options to allow private sector tests to be used safely in line with Public Health Scotland guidelines and said NHS test prices were set by the UK government.
It is continuing to urge a highly cautious approach to international travel, given the risk of new variants.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports, Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, and Karen Dee, chief executive of the AOA, said: “On 11 May we were told the Scottish Government would adopt a four nations approach to the removal of the travel ban which had brought our industry to a standstill.
"Within a matter of days, it transpired Scottish passengers would be heavily penalised by having to pay twice as much for COVID tests than people in England.
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“It is not fair that people in Scotland are being forced to bear such high costs when there are private suppliers offering the same tests that meet strict UK Government requirements for a fraction of the cost.
“This lack of parity with England will price many people out of travelling and will be a very real barrier to airports and airlines as we try to safely re-establish our connectivity.
"It will also push passengers to airports in England to avoid the cost of the Scottish Government’s testing package meaning they would not receive any form of data.
"We urgently need the Government to review its guidelines and introduce an equitable testing system that doesn’t penalise Scottish passengers.
"We have offered to work with the Government and its clinicians to help identify an affordable solution.”
Scots travelling abroad are now able to obtain an official Covid-19 vaccination record.
A status letter can be downloaded from the NHS Inform patient portal or requested in the post via a helpline.
The Scottish Government said only those planning to travel to a country or territory where a record of vaccination status is needed as an entry requirement should download the record or request it.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We fully understand how difficult the restrictions on international travel are, both for the sector and for individuals who are keen to travel to see family, as well as for other important reasons.
"We are exploring options to allow the use of private sector tests, provided this can be done safely and we can be assured that there aren’t any issues with the flow of data from the testing provider to Public Health Scotland regarding test results, as well as the need for positive test results to be analysed for evidence of any variants of concern.
"The price of the NHS tests is set by the UK Government, and prices were recently reduced.”
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