Business leaders warn capital councillors over visitor levy timing
Business leaders warn capital councillors over visitor levy timing
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Business leaders in Scotland’s capital have warned there “simply isn’t enough time” to introduce a new charge on visitors to Edinburgh from May without causing “significant disruption” to accommodation providers. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said a booking platform being brought in as part of Edinburgh City Council’s plans to introduce a new visitor levy was “still in development”.
The council – which is likely to be the first in Scotland to bring in such a scheme – has highlighted the importance of the £50 million the charge could raise. However, FSB officials insisted the focus should be on “ensuring as far as possible that the launch goes without a hitch”.
Garry Clark, FSB development manager for Edinburgh and the east of Scotland, spoke ahead of a meeting of the council’s policy and sustainability committee on Friday January 17 when the new levy will be discussed. There simply isn’t enough time to meet the deadlines laid out by the city council without risking significant disruption to the businesses who will have to apply the charge and their customers.
The charge, which is expected to be set at 5% of the accommodation cost, will then go before the full council for approval the following week on January 24. Under the council’s plans, the levy is to be applied on bookings made after May 1 this year, for accommodation stays from July 24, 2026 onwards, adding to the costs for those staying in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation, as well as campsites and caravan parks.
