City council could agree Scotland’s first visitor levy charge at online meeting
City council could agree Scotland’s first visitor levy charge at online meeting
Share:
Scotland’s first ever visitor levy could be agreed by councillors at a meeting on Friday. Members of the City of Edinburgh Council are expected to approve plans to bring in the charge on those staying in overnight accommodation throughout the area. However, with a rare red weather warning in place as a result of Storm Eowyn, councillors will be meeting virtually to discuss the proposals – which could raise up to £50 million a year for the authority.
Council leader Jane Meagher has previously described the levy as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to invest in the city. It comes after Holyrood, last year, approved legislation giving councils across Scotland the ability to introduce such a charge.
If approved, the levy will see a 5% charge applied to those staying in hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other forms of accommodation, including holiday lets. Under the council’s plans, it will be applied on bookings made after May 1 this year, for accommodation stays from July 24 2026 onwards.
Friday’s full council meeting to discuss the proposal comes after it was backed last week by the authority’s policy and sustainability committee. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), however, warned councillors against a “headlong rush to be the first” to introduce the charge.
