Tourists in England face nightly levy on hotel and Airbnb stays under new plans
Summary
The UK government plans to allow mayors in England to charge a small tax on hotel and Airbnb stays, called a tourist levy. The money collected would help pay for local services like transport, but some in the hospitality industry worry it could hurt jobs and make holidays more expensive.Key Facts
- Mayors in England will be able to charge a tax on overnight stays in hotels and Airbnb-type accommodations.
- The tax will be a percentage of the cost of the stay, not a flat fee, to protect cheaper holidays.
- The levy could raise hundreds of millions of pounds for local improvements like transport and public services.
- Hospitality groups warn this tax could risk jobs and increase holiday costs, as UK holidays are already relatively expensive.
- The first city to introduce such a tax was Edinburgh in Scotland, charging 5% since July 2023.
- London plans to keep the levy below 5% and use the funds to support tourism growth.
- Wales will allow local councils to charge a visitor tax starting April 2027.
- Some mayors, like Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, have already introduced similar visitor charges.
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