New Tourist Tax Proposal In Uk: How England, Scotland And Wales Are Responding To Visitor Levies In Bath And Cambridge, Find Out Now

Thursday, July 17, 2025

In Bath and Cambridge section authorities leaders person reopened nan statement connected tourer taxes UK aliases levies. They dream to spot financial responsibilities of tourism harm onto visitors alternatively than section residents. People’s Representatives Call connected nan Government. BANES (Bath & North East Somerset) Council leader Kevin Guy and Cambridge City Council leader Cameron Holloway jointly wrote to references Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner. They opportunity location is an urgent request for a tourer taxation passim nan UK successful heritage-rich cities.

Council Leaders Urge Government Action

Both Bath and Cambridge invited millions of visitors each twelvemonth astir 6 cardinal to Bath, complete 7 cardinal for Cambridge. This importantly strains nationalist services and infrastructure of some cities.BANES Councillor Manda Rigby said that to levy a tourer complaint successful Bath aliases Cambridge reflects nan rule of fairness: visitors bask section amenities and should lend towards their upkeep truthful that section taxpayers are not near base each associated costs.

Current Framework: Accommodation BID Levies Only

While liking grows, nary modular exists yet successful English rule permitting councils to enforce a wide tourer taxation UK. The only measurement to levy visitant fees is done nan Accommodation Business Improvement District (BID), which has nan effect of charging exclusively for overnight stays.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirms that this still remains a morganatic outlet for councils to complaint visitant payments astatine present. UK Stance connected a Tourist Tax The National Government remains wary of thing for illustration a wide tourer taxation Bath aliases Cambridge because it is worried astir making nan UK look for illustration an costly spot to visit. It says that Britain’s interest is to sphere its world estimation arsenic a tourism destination agelong into nan post-Brexit era. But authorities figures show that overnight visitors bring overmuch greater economical benefits, spending immoderate £151 per sojourn against only £45 per time tripper suggesting that a tourer taxation UK aimed astatine overnight accommodation whitethorn beryllium some conscionable and financially sound.

Comparative Models: Scotland and Wales

Wales’ Overnight Stay Levy

Wales enacted nan Overnight Stay Levy enactment successful July 2025, which gives section councils nan authority to levy an overnight visitant charge. The emblematic complaint is 0.75-to 1.30 pounds per personification per night. The overnight visitant charges money visitant oriented infrastructure and accumulation small leisure costs Expected to present up to £33 cardinal annually, they are presently nether consultation successful 2027. However 37399

Scotland’s 5% Accommodation Levy

Under nan 2024 Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act which came into effect Scotland is now nan 3rd portion of nan UK, aft England and Northern Ireland to springiness section governments powerfulness to levy tourer taxes UK. Plan for Edinburgh to levy a 5% charge–on overnight stays only, 2026-cost of; excluding extras and not including 5 nights each twelvemonth arsenic from 2026–with an anticipated turnover of astir £50 cardinal annually. However, different areas specified arsenic Glasgow, nan Highlands, and Orkney are besides examining nan anticipation of levying specified a taxtheir ain type of nan levy will beryllium very world successful scope

Local Reception & Stakeholder Concerns

Those successful favour of levying tourer taxes UK opportunity nan programme ensures tourism gross covers its ain costs. However, immoderate who are opposed sound nan fearfulness that different Bath aliases Cambridge whitethorn deter each kinds of visitors including those from overseas and those present successful Britain, and successful peculiar these visitors who travel connected time trips from awesome cities adjacent by for illustration London Says Kathryn Davis, Visit West’s CEO: extended consultation pinch nan business, not slightest connected nan economical consequences above, is really important.

Both Manchester and Liverpool person introduced levy paying astir £1–£2 per furniture per night: metropolis projects person gained millions but visitors person not been put disconnected by this, suggesting that a cautiously targeted tourer tux tin beryllium effective successful practice.

Local Economic Impact successful Bath and Cambridge

According to BANES’s statistics, Bath’s tourism manufacture creates immoderate £150 cardinal a twelvemonth and sustains complete 8,200 jobs. Yet nan inflow of 1.75 cardinal overnight and 3 cardinal day-trip visitors a twelvemonth pushes nan section infrastructure to breaking point. Cambridge experiences akin challenges, seeking to reap economical benefits while maintaining nan value of life for its communityHe has committed to a argumentation of zero tolerance towards forbidden practices.

What Happens Next

• July 2025: section councils successful Bath statement nan tourer taxation proposal; soul reviews meantime proceed successful Cambridge and elsewhere.
• Late 2025–2026: Any imaginable early levy plans will return style aft discussions pinch nan section organization and stakeholders.
• 2027 onwards: Wales gets nan go-ahead, pinch Scotland rolling retired much and much while English councils await deciding tourer taxation powers arsenic to whether BID The pursuing pages analyse nan advantages and disadvantages of UK

Advantages Disadvantages of a Tourist Tax

Brings successful money consecutive for infrastructure and services Increased costs mightiness discourage group from taking their holidays Targets tourists, not locals Might move tourism shape from nighttime clip stays to time trips Cost is much aligned to successful models from nan remainder of Britain Adds complication for mini providers of vacation accommodation promotes sustainable tourism attraction pinch a concerned oculus to practice involving practice concerns successful sustainable format

National Policy Signals

UK authorities has antecedently launched a Call for Evidence seeking views connected short word rentals legislation–a hint that authorities liking successful sustainable tourism guidance whitethorn beryllium growing, insert nan tourer taxation UK. Long-term goverment reviews by nan Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport person identified nan request for caller backing mechanisms to support pressures connected practice destinations

Final Thoughts

Bath and Cambridge are putting nether nan spotlight nan thought of a tourer levy Bath Cambridge successful statement pinch wider UK argumentation successful Scotland and Wales. The occurrence of these levies (should they spell ahead) will dangle connected legislative changes, conscientious design, unfastened engagement pinch section communities and making judge that location is simply a adjacent distribution of economical benefits. At present, some cities are entering a captious play for consultation and review.